Taking Chances
by jbo2231
Summary: A new girl comes to Port Charles to find herself and ends up finding more that she thought possible. Aly never knew that taking chance could lead to heartbreak or to the love of a lifetime. Please review!
1. A New Place to Start

Chapter 1

Chapter 1 A New Place to Start

All Aly wanted was a normal life. A normal life was one thing she had never had. Did she do without? No, she wasn't poor, she was provided for and cared for, but normalcy was something she didn't know. Aly had a decision to make, a big decision that could give her the "normal" life she had longed for. She could either stay where she was, or move to a place where no one knew her, and she could become whoever she wanted. She packed her things and moved.

Aly thought to herself, "Port Charles, here I come."

She knew where she needed to go. She moved into what had been her family's estate, Fox Hollow. It had been a summer and weekend home away from New York's hustle and bustle of the Upper East Side. It was about an hour the outside of town, tucked away in a peaceful setting. She'd find a job and keep things low key. She wanted something completely different from the city she just left. She remembered that there was a great coffee shop; maybe she could get a job there.

As she drove up to Fox Hollow, the excitement and anticipation was starting to get to her. 'Did I make the right choice? Can I do this up here on my own, without knowing anybody?' She had forgotten how big her parents' estate was.

She parked the car and got out. Her thoughts, fears and sense of adventure were bubbling up to the surface, and she could hardly contain her excitement. Before unpacking anything out of the car, she walked up to the door, put the key in and turned the lock.

Once she walked in, she started remembering the times that she spent up here with her parents. Even though it wasn't a whole lot, she had some good memories. She was hoping that Fox Hollow would be good to her as well.

'Time to get things moved in and unpacked,' she thought. It took about an hour, back and forth from the car and to various rooms in the house (kitchen, laundry room, bedroom, dining room and bathroom) but finally it was all inside. She decided to take a ride and see the town.

She drove around and went past Sonnybucks. After another drive around town, she went back to the coffee shop, spoke with the manager and was hired. She briefly met Sonny. The manager figured it was best that she was introduced and knew who he was. Things were going just as planned. Everything was normal.

After talking with the manager, Aly sat down and got a coffee. While she was there, she made an unusual friend.

"Greetings, new girl in town. What brings you to the town of Port Charles?" he asked from the next table. He had quickly befriended Aly.

"Just needing a change of scenery. Would you care to join me?" she asked him.

He got up from his table, picked up his laptop and case, and moved over to her table. He dropped his case on the floor, put the pc down and started talking with her.

"My name is Aly," she said to him.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Spinelli, but I'm known as The Jackal in the internet world."

"It's good to meet you, too," Aly said. They sat and talked for a few minutes. He was a little on the quirky side, but Aly took a liking to him right away. She loved his strange, but unique language, one that was all his own. She understood him completely. Spinelli, who worked for Mr. Corinthos, was frequently at the coffee shop.

The more time she spent at the coffee shop getting to know Spinelli and working, the more she liked him. A few weeks had gone by, and she was finally settled in at Fox Hollow and loving her job.

She was at the coffee shop when the news of Leticia's murder broke. Leticia had been Mr. Corinthos' nanny for several years. He and his ex-wife Carly were stunned when Leticia was found strangled to death. Aly, who was at the counter, overheard a conversation between Sonny and Carly about who would care for the boys, and she offered a suggestion.

"Forgive me for interrupting. I couldn't help but overhear that you are in need of a nanny?" she asked.

"Do you know of anyone?" Sonny asked.

She raised her hand. "Me," she simply said.

"_You_?" Carly was stunned. "I don't know you. What makes you think you are qualified?"

"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jacks, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Aly Russell. I'm new to Port Charles. I've only been working here in the shop for a few weeks. As far as qualifications go, I have a degree in child development," she lied. It wasn't a complete lie. She did know a thing or two about child development. She was creating the normal life she had dreamed of.

After Carly raked Aly over the coals, she finally decided that she would be good enough to take care of Michael and Morgan.

Aly was very excited. This was a very normal job. She had always enjoyed being around children. She was quickly cued in on what Sonny's job really was and why there was a need for guards.

"Does this concern you at all?" Sonny asked.

"Mr. Corinthos, I grew up on the Upper East Side of New York. My parents are from Russia, and my father looks like he could be part of the Russian Mafia. I've been well educated about it all, and I have learned the less you know the better." She didn't want to give him her life story, but the mob wasn't unfamiliar to her.

"Ok, I'm glad. I'd also be glad if you'd stop calling me Mr. Corinthos." He flashed that grin of his. She agreed, from now on he was Sonny.

Carly asked her to come by the house the following day to introduce her to the boys, and for them to get to know each other. Since she was starting to watch the boys, it took all her time, so she quit the coffee shop. Besides, Sonny thought it was best. He could always get another waitress, but he needed someone dependable and trustworthy to take care of his boys, and a girl like Aly doesn't come along often.

Aly was so excited; she was looking forward to spending time with children again. The next day, she found herself outside of Carly and Jax's house.

The day with Carly and the boys went well. She was going to work there five days a week, and whenever else Carly and Jax needed her if they had to stay late at the Metro Court. It was the highlight of her week, spending time with them.

The more time Aly spent with the boys the more she fell in love with them. She found herself playing games of flag football and even though they weren't babies, she'd sing them to sleep.

_It's not that unusual  
When everything is beautiful  
It's just another  
Ordinary miracle today_

The sky knows when it's time to snow  
Don't need to teach a seed to grow  
It's just another  
Ordinary miracle today

Carly enjoyed listening to Aly sing the boys to sleep. It was something that Carly herself couldn't do; she didn't have a good singing voice. She could see the bond forming between Aly and the boys, and this made her very happy. Carly and Aly became close; Carly began to consider her part of the family. There was something about Aly that people were drawn to. She had a way of making people smile. Everyone she met liked her.

When the invitations to the Black and White Ball at Wyndemere arrived, everyone was talking. With the Text Message Killer on the loose, Carly was insistent upon Jason's attendance to the Ball. Aly was at Carly's, waiting for the boys to come home. Jason had stopped by as well.

"Jason, you have to go to the Ball. Everyone is going to expect you to be there, and you need to go, for your sister's sake," Carly pleaded with him.

"Carly, you know I hate things like this," Jason told her.

"I know but it would mean the world to Emily if you went and besides," she paused and looked at Jason, and then at Aly, "Aly needs a date," she smirked.

"What? No, I don't need to go to the Ball. I don't know that many people, and who will watch the boys?" Aly asked. Sure she knew Jason pretty well by now and they had that brother-sister kind of relationship. But Aly was hesitant. Going to the Ball reminded her of her previous life, something she was trying desperately to forget.

She looked back at Aly again. "Of course you need to go to the Ball! Bobbie can watch the boys that night." She turned back to Jason. "So, Jason, what do you say?" Carly was never reluctant to be pushy.

Jason thought for a minute and gave Carly a look of resentment before agreeing. "Emily will be happy, and you will get to meet her boyfriend, Nikolas. His home is more of a castle than a house. Aly, you should go and do something fun, but don't expect me to dance with you, I don't dance."

Aly laughed. "Ok, Jason. I'm looking forward to it."

"Then it's a date," Carly smiled.

It was all set. Aly would attend the Black and White Ball at Wyndemere with Jason. She was nervous to meet half the town of Port Charles at such a fancy event.

Aly went shopping for a dress and found a nice one. This Ball was hitting too close to home; it reminded her of her previous life, the one she was trying to escape. But since Jason wanted to go for Emily's sake, how could Aly say no?

Finally, it was Halloween and the night of the Black and White Ball. Aly and Jason arrived at Wyndemere on the launch. Aly was blown away. Wyndemere was unlike any place she had ever seen before. She immediately fell in love with the castle.

Jason was a perfect gentleman and did agree to one dance before introducing Aly to his sister.

"Emily, this is Aly Russell, Carly and Sonny's new nanny," Jason said.

"It's so nice to finally meet you, I've heard so much about you from the boys," Aly said, as she held out her hand to shake Emily's hand.

"It's nice to meet you as well, I'm so glad you could come. I do believe you have one of the best escorts in town." She looked at Jason and gave him a loving smile. Aly could tell that they were close friends, not just brother and sister. "Let me introduce you to the host of this Ball." She turned to Nikolas. "This is Nikolas Cassadine," Emily said to Aly.

"A real Russian Prince," Aly said as she bowed.

"It's very nice to meet you. How did you know that?" Nikolas asked.

"My parents moved here to the states from Russia and when I was younger. I was curious about my heritage and did a lot of research," Aly told him. "I ran across the Cassadine name and read up on it." She smiled at Emily and Nikolas.

"Well, don't judge me by the Cassadine name," Nikolas said with a smile. He walked over to speak with one of his other guests.

"Of course not," she smiled back. There was something about both Emily and Nikolas that Aly liked immediately. They seemed to fit perfectly together and seemed so right for each other. Aly could only wish that she could find that kind of love someday.

"How long have you been in town?" Emily asked Aly.

"Only a few weeks. I'm enjoying it so far. Your brother has been a very good friend to me. I can see that you both have such a great connection and love for each other. I admire him very much."

"Thank you, Aly, that was really sweet," Emily said. "Jason means the world to me, and I love him very much." She leaned towards Aly and said, "He doesn't show his emotions too much, but underneath it all, he does care."

Aly was curious. "Nikolas seems like a great guy. How long have you two been together?"

"We have been friends since I was a kid. We've had our ups and downs – together, apart, back and forth -- but we have remained close. He really is my only true love, my fairytale love."

"That's so sweet, Emily."

"We should get together sometime and get to know each other. What do you think, Aly?"

"I would love it. I'm going to mingle around. I'll be back in a little while," Aly said to Emily.

The night continued on with dancing and a very big announcement. Nikolas announced his engagement to Emily and everyone was happy for them. They did a waltz across the floor. They looked so happy together. Whatever happened in their past, Aly knew that they would have nothing but great times ahead of them.

Aly didn't go unnoticed at the Ball. Wearing a magnificent black gown, she had caught Logan's eye. After finding a way to ditch Maxie, Logan made he was toward Aly and asked her to dance. The two danced and chatted for several more songs. Aly thought that maybe this could be the start of something new for her, something else she had never experienced before, a relationship.

Several hours later is when all hell started to break loose. When Alexis found Ric pinned to the wall with a sword, Aly's adrenaline took over. She quickly assisted in getting Ric help. By stopping the bleeding, Aly was able to prepare Robin and Patrick for what would lie

ahead. Little did Aly know that Maxie was watching her, and taking notes. After Logan had ditched Maxie, she became suspicious of Aly. She was curious about who Aly was and just how she knew what to do in a medical emergency.

After it became apparent that there was a killer on the loose, Jason quickly started taking people to the stables for safety. This included Aly and before she knew it, Aly found herself alone with Elizabeth Webber. She had met Liz briefly before but didn't know much about her. She did know one thing.

"You're the one he really loves," Aly said to Liz after Jason had left to bring more people down to the stable.

Liz looked at Aly curiously, "How do you know that? You don't even know me, and I'm not sure you know Jason as well as you think you do."

"I may not know Jason as well as I'd like and I most certainly don't know you but I know love when I see it. He loves you. It's in his eyes, and you love him. You seem like a perfectly wonderful person, and I know I don't know all of the details but why are you fighting the truth?" Aly asked.

Before Liz could answer, Sam entered the stable like a tornado. After a heated argument between Sam and Liz and after Jason finally told Lucky who Jake's real father was, Aly found herself in the back with Spinelli and Nadine.

While Aly was safe, the next few hours would be hell on earth for Jason and Elizabeth.

With Anthony Zacchara roaming around, the Text Message Killer out and about, it didn't keep anyone calm. At the end of the night, Nikolas had lost the only true love of his life, Emily, and it was the start of endless nightmares for Nikolas, as well as for everyone else who knew and loved Emily.

The holidays for some in Port Charles were not as merry as they had anticipated. With the death of Emily Quartermaine and the text message killer still on the loose, everyone was a little on edge.

Aly was particularly on edge but for other reasons. Logan was pursuing her and she was uneasy due to her lack of experience. He asked her to meet him at Kelly's for some coffee and while she waited, she ran into Elizabeth.

"Hi," she said shyly.

"Oh, hi, Aly. How are you?" Liz inquired.

"I'm doing ok. How are you?" She asked, knowing how close Liz had been with Emily.

"I'm ok. Listen, about the night at the ball…." Liz trailed.

"Look, I was out of line. I should have never said anything to you about Jason, especially since I didn't know all of the details," Aly offered.

"You were right," Liz told her.

"I was?" Aly asked.

"You were, and I've stopped fighting the truth. Well I mean, it's all out there now so there isn't much to fight."

"So you and Jason can be together now?" Aly asked.

"Not exactly," Liz noticed Logan walk in, "Look, I gotta go, I'll see ya," she grabbed her things and left.

Logan and Aly spent sometime getting to know each other. Aly was reserved, careful to not let Logan know too much about her.

From afar Maxie quietly watched the two, still suspicious of Aly and jealous that Logan was giving her so much attention. She may have had Coop back in her life but that didn't mean much. Finally she decided to stir things up a bit, true to Maxie form.

"Hey Logan, ready to make a new bet?" She glared at Aly.

"No Maxie, go bother Coop or something, I'm not up for your games," Logan said with an annoyed tone.

"You could at least introduce me Logan," she smirked.

Cursing her under his breath he introduced her to Aly.

"You were great at the Ball with Ric. How did you know what to do with someone who was bleeding to death?" she asked coyly.

"Lots of first aid training," Aly said with a smile. She knew Maxie wanted more but she wasn't giving it to her.

"Sure, whatever you say," Maxie said then left the diner.

"Pay no attention to her, she's hateful," Logan said to Aly.

"No, she's just lonely," Aly said. She wasn't a fan of Maxie's after their first encounter but she wasn't going to let Logan trash her.

Aly may be inexperienced in a lot of things but she could read people very well. She had Maxie pegged, just as she had Jason and Liz figured out. Logan on the other hand, she wasn't so sure about him yet.

Song: "Ordinary Miracle" By Sarah Maclachlan


	2. Almost Honest

**NOTE: Nicfan7 is now cowriting with me! We are excited to be writing together!**

**The TMK has been found at this point.**

**Aly and Logan have been seeing each other for several months.**

**Chapter 2- Almost Honest**

Things were going really well for Aly and Logan. She was starting to live a life that she had always dreamed of. Logan was a charmer. He made her nervous and happy all at once. Of course Aly had gotten an earful from Carly and Lulu about Logan, not to mention Sonny.

"I'm tellin you Aly, find someone else to date. The kid is trouble. You are a pretty girl, and I know you can do better. So do yourself a favor and get rid of this guy," Sonny said to Aly after she brought the boys to his home.

"You know, while you are much too young to be my father, you are the closest thing I have to one here in Port Charles and its nice to know that someone is looking out for me. However, I'm a big girl Sonny, I can take care of myself. And besides, Logan isn't half as bad as you think he is," she said as she grabbed her keys and left.

While things were going well for Aly and Logan, she was finding it harder than she had anticipated to keep her true self at bay. She wanted to let Logan all the way in but she felt she had to keep her guard up. Normal was the only thing on her mind, and her true self was anything but normal. Aly had given him some details of her life, you know, the basics. She had told him that she had grown up on the Upper East Side of New York and that she didn't have the most practical upbringing. He never seemed to have too many questions. He was more concerned with the present, and that was a good thing where Aly was concerned.

She wanted to take things to the next level with him, so she decided to invite him to dinner at Fox Hollow. Now Aly's mother didn't raise a fool. Sure, she was insecure in some situations but she could hold her own. Aly's mother had raised her to be a self-sufficient woman who could cook a meal for twenty or handle a board room full of men. While Aly was strong, confident, and independent, her insecurities may end up getting the best of her. By bringing Logan to Fox Hollow, Aly could be almost honest with him.

While dinner was cooking, she went and got ready for her date. After a few minutes of debating in her closet, she found the perfect outfit, her black jeans and a nice purple sweater. In no time at all, she was waiting in the living room for Logan to arrive. She wanted to tell him what was on her mind, but how much could she tell and not give it all away? Hmm…

Saved by the bell, she thought, as she heard it ring. She opened the door and there he was, like magic, she thought, and a giggle came out. He smiled, gave her a quick kiss and came in. "Something smells good in here," Logan said and something sparkled in his eyes. Was that a flirting look, Aly thought.

"Thank you. I want you to know that I don't cook for just anybody," and she winked at him. He laughed.

They sat down and started eating. "This is fantastic, Aly. You should cook more often. I love it! What other things do you have up your sleeve?"

She laughed, "nothing much right now. Thanks, I'm glad you like it. It was something that I picked up from my mom." She still wasn't sure how to approach what she wanted to tell him.

"Is everything ok? You have this really strange look on your face. Is it something I said?" He put down his fork and waited for an answer.

"No, I was just thinking about my parents, and when I was growing up. Some of my favorite times were in the kitchen helping Mom cook on the weekends, and Dad was working. That was our time to bond and just hang out, not that I wasn't close to my Dad, too. He watched me more during the week after school." She took a breath and said to herself, calm down and take it slowly, just bits and pieces. "They were both always so busy," she started. "My parents had pressure jobs, both of them being doctors, so any time that I got to spend with them, I treasured. I'm sure for any kid it's hard enough growing up and having one doctor as a parent and barely seeing that one, let alone being a kid of two busy doctors."

"That's a tough life for anyone, Aly. What was it like growing up? What kind of things do you remember?" Logan asked with interest. He wasn't trying to be nosy, he genuinely wanted to know because he really cared about her.

She was touched that he is really taking an interest in getting to know her better, but she also needed to keep that guard up, she had to keep reminding herself of that. One minor thing said and it will all come out, and she won't be able to stop it. "My dad worked during the day and my mom worked in the hospital at night, I got to spend lots of time with my father. On the weekends, Dad worked more and Mom was home both days. They wanted to be there for me, even though they had money and lived in what some would call high society, not once did they ever use it to send me away or have others care for me. I love and respect them for that."

"That is wonderful to hear, and I respect them for it too. Unlike my father, whom I don't think you've had the pleasure of running into yet, Scott Baldwin?"

"No, can't say that I have," Aly said back to him. Dodged that one, she thought. I gave him enough for now. Time to enjoy the rest of the night. "What would you like for dessert?" She said to him, joking around. She brought out dessert and they ate it.

He helped her clean up the dishes and they sat on the couch, popped in a movie, and relaxed for the night. After the movie and some romantic kisses, Logan left. Shortly after, Aly heard a horrible crash that came from down the lane. She quickly went to the road, only to find Logan and his motorcycle smashed up against a tree, and another car in the ditch. Aly's instincts took over and she began doing whatever she could to help him. With the medics on the way, Aly was doing everything in her power to stop the bleeding and to keep Logan awake. She knew that if she didn't, he didn't stand much of a chance of making it, and she wasn't going to go through that again.

Aly was still following her instincts after arriving at General Hospital. She quickly interrupted the medics and gave Patrick the full report.

"We've got a possible cerebral adema, internal bleeding from broken ribs, and he's lost a lot of blood so he needs a transfusion, stat," Aly said without missing a beat.

Patrick and his team quickly wisked Logan to the OR and got to work.

Maxie stood by, stunned by what she had just witnessed.

"You know, Aly, this is the second time I've seen you in a medical emergency and you really seem to know what your doing. It seems odd that a nanny would know so much medical jargon," Maxie said snidely.

Frustratrated, Aly simply walked away. She knew Maxie wouldn't be satisfied until she had some answer but Aly wasn't giving in. All she wanted was for Logan to be okay. He had to be.

Aly waited while Logan was still in surgery, Maxie started coming up with a few ideas of her own. She had to find out exactly what Aly was hiding. How could a simple nanny know so many things about a hospital, and the ER? There was only one person she could call to find some answers to this question – the Jackal himself – Spinelli.

"Hello?"

"Hey, it's Maxie. Are you free?"

"Greetings, wounded blonde one. What can the Jackal do for you?" Spinelli asked her.

"Would you meet me at GH? I'm in need of your services," Maxie said.

"Be there in a flash," and with that he hung up. Time to get moving. Stone Cold was not around and since things were quiet, he made his way over to GH.

Spinelli finally found Maxie on the 10th floor. She wanted to be away from the ER, Aly and Logan, and talk to Spinelli in private. Seems everyone is on the 10th floor today, Maxie thought. It's never this busy.

They sat down in the waiting room. "Spinelli, I need your help. Something is bugging me. You know Aly, the new girl who's with Logan right?"

"Yes, the caregiving one."

"She is working for Sonny as a nanny. But when the TMK was going around the ball and they found Ric, she jumped into action and was spouting off all these medical terms, which I thought was weird. Just a little while ago, the ambulance brought Logan in who is in surgery, but the strange thing was, she was running off at the mouth about his condition and what Patrick and the staff needed to do. What kind of nanny knows all this? She must be hiding something," Maxie said.

"The caregiving one and I are friends and buddies. I can't betray my loyal and trusted friend."

"If you help me with this, Spinelli, I'll get Nadine to go out on a date with you," Maxie said in her usual nasty, threatening tone.

After a few moments of pondering, Spinelli agreed.

"The Jackal at your service. I will find out whatever I can and give you a full status report as soon as I know something," he said.

At that point, Nadine walked past them, and said, "Hey Spinelli, hi Maxie, what brings you two up here?" Nadine really enjoyed being at the Black and White ball at Wyndemere with Spinelli and would love to spend some more time with him, but why is he with Maxie??

"I've got to get going anyway," Maxie said. "Spinelli, talk to you soon?"

"Yes you will," he said back to her, and she left. Spinelli liked Nadine and always stuttered and tripped over his words when he was near her. "You're looking lovely tonight. How are you doing?"

They spent the next few minutes talking. In the meantime, Aly was downstairs in the ER waiting for news on Logan, and was getting antsy. The nurses wouldn't tell her anything and it was frustrating.

While she was sitting there, Nikolas came into the ER looking for Elizabeth. He needed to get in to see Robin or Patrick since his head was bothering him and he didn't want to have another blackout, which is what he was afraid of. He glanced over and saw Aly sitting there all by herself.

"Aly, hi there, what are you doing here? Is everything ok?" Nikolas asked.

"Nikolas, so glad to see someone I know. No, things aren't ok. Logan and I had a date tonight and after he left, he got into an accident. He's in surgery now and I'm going stir crazy. I don't know what is going on."

"They will be out soon, Aly, you know that. Just hang in there. I'll sit with you until they call me for my appointment."

"Thanks, I appreciate it," Aly said. "I hate not knowing anything. I want a status update on his condition. This sitting here waiting is killing me."

Nikolas looked at her with concern. "The waiting is the hardest part. There's nothing you can do and you feel helpless. I felt that way with my stepfather, Luke. He just went through major surgery and we weren't sure he was going to make it." He looks at Aly. "Maybe that wasn't the best thing to say to you."

"It's ok. Just being able to talk to someone makes me feel better. Other than us being introduced, I never got to talk to you at the ball. It was a long night. How are you holding up?" Aly asked.

"Not so good. That's why I'm here. Haven't been feeling any better since the ball and losing Emily. I've been having these blackouts. I have a son, Spencer, miss him terribly but I'm afraid to keep him with me in the house because of the blackouts. Robin and Patrick found a solution, but I'm not sure if it's the right thing to do yet."

"Nikolas, you've got a friend in me. If you ever need someone to talk to, I'm here. That's what friends are for," and she smiled at him.

"Thank you, Aly, it means a lot to me." They sat there and waited. A couple minutes later, they called Nikolas in, he left, leaving her all alone once again. She'd been here once before and the ending was not one she was fond of. She would not let history repeat itself.


	3. Let The Games Begin

**Chapter 3- Let the Games Begin**

The days went by slowly as they often do when you spend them in a hospital. Logan had made it out of surgery but had yet to wake up. Aly stayed by his side, holding his hand and praying that he'd wake up. She finally met his father, Scott, who didn't seem as bad as Logan had made him out to be. Elizabeth had been in out, checking on Logan's vitals and making sure Aly was doing alright. Carly and Sonny made special arrangements for the boys so that Aly could stay with Logan as long as she needed. Nikolas even stopped by to check on her.

Patrick was the attending doctor for Logan and was frequently in and out of the room.

"You really knew your stuff the other day, Aly, it was very impressive," Patrick said as he looked over Logan's chart.

"Not really," she said shyly.

"Not really? You sounded just like a doctor, maybe you should consider it as a career," he said.

"Maybe," she said before she turned her attention back to Logan.

She rested her head on the edge of the bed and closed her eyes. All she wanted to do was hear Logan's voice. That slow Texan drawl would be music to her ears. It's all she could think about.

"Aly…" he barely got it out. She quickly perked up.

"Hey….there's my soldier. How you feelin?" She asked as she lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"I'm ok. It's nice to wake up to such a pretty face," he flashed that grin of his. She was glad to see him alert and awake again. It made her feel better just knowing he pulled through and is now on the road to recovery.

Robin and Patrick came in and looked him over. The verdict was in. Just a few more days and he'd be able to go home. It was the best news that either one of them could have gotten.

"You really should go home and get some rest Aly, this guy is gonna need you when he goes home," Robin said.

"She's right. I'm going to need some love and affection when I get out of here," Logan flirted.

"Ok, fine, I'll go. But don't think I won't be back first thing in the morning," Aly said reluctantly.

She dragged herself home. It had been days since she had been there. She had Carter, the butler, make her some hot chocolate before going to bed. Things were starting to look much better. She finally fell into a deep slumber and dreamt of Logan.

After another day at the hospital with Logan, Patrick stopped in and gave them some good news. "Logan, you are being released tomorrow. Aly, he will be in your care after that," and Patrick smiled at her.

"I'm rearing to go. I can't wait," and she gave Logan a big grin and a kiss.

"Me too," Logan said.

The next morning, she was back, ready to bring Logan home. After he had been released from the hospital, his first request was to go to Kelly's for some food.

"I need something good to eat, Aly," he begged.

"I'll fix you something," she grinned.

"Come on….please?"

How could she resist that drawl, that smile and those eyes? She caved in, but only a little bit. "Ok, fine. But after that we are going straight home. You should be resting," she said in her most motherly tone.

They walked in and sat down at their usual table at Kelly's. No one needed to take their order, Mike knew just what to get them. Great, Aly thought. Maxie is everywhere, I can't get away from her. Maybe she'll be quiet since she's with Lucky and Spinelli.

"Hey….shouldn't you be at home taking care of yourselves?" Robin asked after walking in and spotting the two.

"I tried," Aly laughed.

"Well, I'm glad I ran into you actually. You were really knowledgable the other day when you arrived in the ER. How'd you know how to diagnose Logan's injuries so well?" Robin asked.

"Oh I just…" Aly started before she was rudely interrupted.

"I know how she knew all of that…." Maxie walked over and chimed in.

"Maxie….." Lucky said and tried to stop her.

"What are you talking about?" Robin asked, looking confused.

"Well, I've been doing a little research and…"Maxie began.

"Maxie, leave her alone, it's none of your business," Lucky interjected again.

After giving him a glare, Maxie continued, "See, Aly isn't really who she says she is. She has this entire life that no one knows about…"

"Aly, what is she talking about?" Logan asked.

Aly gave him a look of uncertainty. She couldn't be sure what was going to happen or come out of Maxie's mouth next, but she was positive she wasn't going to like it.

"See Aly was a child prodigy. That's right, she's a freakin genius," she looked at Aly, "although she never acts like one. She went to med school when she was like 16 or something. That's how she knows everything. What else was there? Oh yeah, she's one of those high society snobs that grew up in a fancy house in New York and her parents are both doctors too, well I guess I should say they _were _ until their tragic death. And that's not even the strangest thing. Apparently her parents use to live here in Port Charles but suddenly left. Isn't that right, Aly?"

"Shut up, Maxie," Aly was pissed.

"I bet 'Aly' isn't even your real name is it?" Maxie asked.

Logan just looked at Aly. "Is it true?" he asked.

"No. She's full of it." Aly said.

"Actually, the bad blonde one is right," Spinelli finally said. Aly just stared at Spinelli. She couldn't believe what she was hearing, and the one person she trusted just betrayed her.

"Admit it Aly. You didn't want everyone to know what a freak you are," Maxie said.

After glancing back and forth between Logan and Robin, Aly knew she had to confess.

"Ok fine. I'm a freak. Happy now, Maxie?" Aly spat.

"No, not yet," Maxie grinned.

"What do you want to know, Maxie?" Aly asked.

"Everything, I want to know everything. Let the games begin, shall we?" Maxie giggled. Lucky shot Maxie another look as if to say watch your step, you are treading on thin ice.

"Aly….you don't have to…" Robin started to say.

"No, its ok. What Maxie said, its true. You want my life story? Well here it is," she stopped and took a breath, she was ready. "I grew up in the Upper East Side of New York City. My parents moved here from Russia and became doctors. I lived a high profile life, going to fancy dinners and balls and such. I was an outcast though. I was always around adults. I never had any friends because I was never in school. School was too boring for me. I was the kid that everyone talked about, they'd say 'Oh, there's Dr. Russell's girl, she's so brilliant. She's got the IQ of a genius. She doesn't act like a child, she's so weird.'"

She looked at Logan, then Robin and continued. "I was a miserable child, I never knew what to do when I was around kids my age so I avoided the situation. When I was 16, I was finally able to go to med school at Harvard. There I could finally be myself. Going to med school was the most amazing thing I had ever done. The day I graduated was supposed to be one of the best days of my life." She had to stop and remember to breathe. "Instead, my parents and I were in a car accident and they both died. I couldn't save them. I had just graduated from the best med school in the country and I was already a failure. So for a year after I sat everyday in our home in the darkness, frustrated that I couldn't have done more to help them, and mad at myself for not being able to keep them alive. Finally I decided to move here to Port Charles and start a new life for myself. So there you have it. Oh and my name….its Alexandra (Alex ondra) Romanav. When my parents moved here they changed our last name to Russell…..you missed that one Maxie," she snarled and glared at her.

Aly started to gather her things. All she wanted was to get as far away from Maxie as possible. Her secret wasn't devastating, but it was something she didn't want everyone to know. She didn't want to be doted on, she didn't want special treatment, and she didn't want people to think she was a weirdo.

"Aly, I….." Spinelli started to say. Aly raised a hand as to warn him to not talk. She couldn't deal with him right now. She needed to leave there as quick as she could.

"How could you?" She asked him, then turned and went out the door with Logan.

Aly and Logan drove to his apartment in silence. It took all she had to not let the tears fall from her eyes. She didn't know how or if all of this would change things. Once inside his apartment, Logan pulled Aly close to him and hugged her tightly. Her world was starting to fall apart and once she felt Logan's arms around her all she could do was cry. The one bright spot in her life was Logan, and she was happy to have him in it.


	4. Back To Life

Chapter 4- Back To Life

Aly was by no means devastated by Maxie's research however she felt herself doing a lot of reflecting. It had been a long time since she had thought about her childhood, or her parents. There was something else on her mind as well. Something that Maxie had said got under Aly's skin. Maxie said that Aly's parents lived in Port Charles until they had to suddenly move. This was something Aly didn't know anything about. It had her curious. She didn't remember being there for anything other than the occasional weekend or summer vacations.

"You know what I don't get?" Aly said as she was changing Logan's bandages on his hand.

"What's that?" he asked.

"I don't get why Maxie did it. I mean what did she get out of it?"

"She just did it to be mean. You know what I don't get, I don't get why you kept all of those things a secret anyway?" he said.

"I did it because I didn't want to be the freaky genius girl anymore. I just wanted to be a normal person…I wanted to be just Aly," she told him.

"You are just Aly. But, you are also a very smart woman, who should be proud of her intelligence and her accomplishments. For God's sakes, you're a doctor. That's incredible, no matter how you slice it," he said, pulling her close to him, planting kisses down her neck.

After a minute, she stared off into space. She was back to thinking about what Maxie said.

"Aly? What's on your mind?" Logan asked.

"Nothing…its nothing," she said with a forced smile. "You know what? I'm gonna go run some errands. Get some rest, I'll be back soon," she said as she kissed him, grabbed her purse and went out the door.

Aly had to find out exactly what Maxie had been talking about. She knew of only one way to do so. She headed straight for Kelly's.

Once she was at the diner she found exactly who she was looking for -- Spinelli.

"Hey, what are you working on?" she asked as she sat down at the table where Spinelli was frantically researching on the internet.

"The Jackal is currently working on something for himself," he said, not looking up.

The silence caught his attention. He looked up to see the questioning look on Aly's face.

"I'm searching for the father Jackal," he said quietly after looking around.

"I could help you with that. And you could help me with something too," she said with a grin.

He raised an eyebrow as if to ask "what can I help you with?"

"I need to know why my parents left Port Charles. I mean I didn't even know they ever lived here, I thought they just came here for weekends and vacations. So, you help me, and I'll help you."

"The Jackal regrets that I may need to do this on my own, finding my father," Spinelli said.

"Spinelli, you know as well as I do that two heads are better than one, and what could be better than our two heads together? We have to be the smartest two people in Port Charles, hell we're probably the smartest people in the entire state of New York," she laughed. He smiled and nodded his head in agreement. "I will be much better help than Maxie was with finding the Text Message Killer. And besides, you owe me."

"The caregiving one has a point there," he said. "After what I did to help the wounded blonde one and hurt you in the process, I will give you my services, and we can help each other. Between both of us, we may be able to solve both mysteries."

"Great," Aly said. "I know we can. Meet me back here after breakfast in the morning and we'll start our mission."

"See you then, most gracious caregiving one."

She paused before she got up from the table. "By the way….what exactly did Maxie bribe you with anyway?" Aly asked. She knew he'd never help Maxie on his own free will.

"Uh…" he stumbled. She raised an eye brow.

"She promised me a date with Nadine," he said as he slumped in his chair.

"I thought you had learned to not be so blind after what you learned about Georgie. You don't need Maxie's help. Just man up and ask the girl out on your own," she said.

He gave her a shy smile.

"I'll see you later….Man Up!" she said as she left.

After Aly left, Spinelli sat there and thought for a minute. He was grateful that she was giving him a second chance. He knew he had messed up by teaming up with Maxie to find out the dirt on Aly and regretted it the minute he said yes. This was his way of making it up to her. Stone Cold didn't have any plans for the Jackal tomorrow morning so meeting the caregiving one would not be a problem.

Meanwhile back at Logan's apartment, Aly walked in through the door. "Hi honey, I'm home," she said. He looked up from the chair and smiled. "I've always wanted to say that," she said with a grin and kissed him.

"Glad you're back. Everything ok?" he asked.

Yes, much better now," as she sat down on the sofa next to him and felt his arms around her. "I needed to talk to Spinelli about what happened yesterday at Kelly's with Maxie. Everything is back to normal again."

Logan paused and thought for a minute. Aly looked up at him. "What?"

"Did I hear you say normal?"

She laughed. "Yeah guess I did, at least for today." She snuggled closer to him and, and they both relaxed by the tv, and eventually took a late morning nap until her phone woke her up at 1 pm.

It was time for her to get ready and head back over to Carly and Jax's house to watch the boys for the afternoon. As she was driving over, she started thinking. Sonny and Carly had been wonderful to her after Logan's accident, but now she needed to get back to work. Carly and the boys met her at the door.

"Hey Carly, hi boys. It's so good to see you. What's up, how are you guys doing?" she asked Michael and Morgan.

"The boys are all set for the afternoon. Jax will be back after the meeting at Metro Court but I won't be. I have some things to get ready for another party tomorrow. Before I go, I wanted to talk to you." She sat down on the sofa and Aly sat down too.

"Something wrong with the boys?" Aly asked.

"Not at all. I heard something this morning and I wanted to ask you about it," Carly said. Aly nodded. "Did I hear that you were a doctor? I had walked in to the kitchen to ask Mike a question and when I came out, all I heard was that you were a doctor, and there was a tragedy and you don't practice anymore. Is everything ok with you, if you don't mind me asking."

Aly looked at her. "I feel I should be honest with you. The shortened version of the story is that my parents were doctors. The night I graduated, they were in an accident and died. I felt responsible that I couldn't save them and quit being a doctor just as soon as I had started it. Haven't thought about starting again. Not sure if I'm ready to yet."

"There's an opening at GH for the Head of Pedriatrics. I've heard Monica talk about it, they are looking for someone responsible and dedicated to fill that spot. After watching you with my boys, you would be completely perfect for the job. There is no one else in Port Charles who could do that job. I know you will be a tough chief to work for. It's challenging, plus you wouldn't need to be a nanny anymore and you can put that medical jargon to good use."

Aly couldn't believe what she was hearing. "Really? You think I would be great at it?"

"Yes," Carly said. "You should go and see Monica or Dr. Ford later today or tomorrow. I'm sure they would be interested in your background. And besides I know you can do it."

"I will check it out. Thanks for thinking of me. It's going to be a change if I decide to do it. Who would watch the boys?" Aly asked.

"Sonny and I will figure something out. Look, I have to run. Enjoy your afternoon with the boys. Remember what I said. See ya later."

Aly had a good afternoon with the boys. Once Jax got home, she left and headed back to Fox Hollow.

On her way home, she called Logan and decided to stop by for a few minutes. She had to tell him what Carly said and needed his opinion.

She walked right in, he was expecting her. "Hey babe," he said.

"Hi there. How's my favorite patient?" she teased.

"As far as I know, I'm your ONLY patient," and they laughed.

"Strangest thing happened today," she started and sat down. "Carly overheard part of the conversation we had with Maxie and Spinelli the other night and felt bad. She suggested, almost pushed me, to apply for the Head of Pediatrics job at GH. She said I'd be good at it, there wasn't anyone else who could do a better job, and no one better qualified. I was floored. Do you think I should go for it?"

"That would be a fantastic job, and you would be great. You should do it. I am proud of you. Wow, a doctor and maybe Head of a department. What a deal," he smiled and kissed her.

"I will do it. You are too sweet and good to me. I'm gonna get going so I can get ready for tomorrow. Meeting Spinelli to talk about finding out about my father's connection here and why they left. After that, I'll head to GH. Goodnight."

"Nite nite, talk to you tomorrow," they kissed and she left.

Once she got back home, she grabbed something from the kitchen, and took a bath. She thought about Carly's suggestion about the doctor position at the hospital, and finally about her new mission with Spinelli. Maybe moving to Port Charles was a good idea, the thought came into her head as she got out of the bath and got ready for bed. She had some sweet dreams of Logan.

She was up early and looking forward to seeing Spinelli. It is high time that I get started and figure out exactly what Maxie meant when she said my parents lived here and suddenly moved, she thought. She jumped in the car and headed over to Kelly's.

She found Spinelli at his usual table. "Hey there."

"Greetings. Good morning," Spinelli said.

"I have a plan," she told him.

"What does the highly intelligent one suggest?"

"As far as finding your father, do you have any information at all on him?" she asked.

"I know his name, that is all. It's Peter Romanoski."

"That's funny. My father's name is Peter as well, and Romanoski, that's similar to Romanav. Well anyway, its something to work with."

"Yes, yes it is. So what's your master plan?" he asked.

"Well, you aren't the only one who knows how to hack into a computer. So I thought we'd start there. I'm thinking I should check on files at the NYU Medical Center where my parents were both on staff. You should check General Hospital's personnel files. We can obviously do a search using your father's name. And I thought maybe I should do some snooping around at Fox Hollow."

"What do you think you'll find there?"

"I may not find anything but maybe there are some files or some kind of document. It's worth a search."

"Ok, well, let's get to work," Spinelli said with a smile, then started pecking away at his computer.

After a few minutes of silence between the two, Aly finally spoke,"I wanted to get your opinion on something, Spinelli. The news of my true identity has spread like wildfire. Carly has already heard everything and you know how Carly is. She is pushing me to talk to Dr. Quartermaine or Dr. Ford and apply for the Head of Pediatrics at the hospital. What do you think?"

"The Valkyrie happens to be correct. I think you would be most worthy of that job at the hospital. You should go and see what needs to be done. You would rock there," Spinelli said to her.

"Thanks," she said shyly. She was still a little unsure of herself. She stayed and chatted with Spinelli for a few more minutes. She finally decided to go to General Hospital.

So many things going through her mind right now, as she drove over to GH. Her parents would be so proud of what she is doing, applying for this new job. She thought to herself ' I'm starting to feel as though I'm arriving in a brand new place in my life.' She parked the car and headed up to the 7th floor, and asked for Dr. Quartermaine. With Emily and Monica's husband Alan gone, they knew the only Dr. Quartermaine was Monica. They led her in to Monica's office. She sat down and waited.

"Hello there, Aly. Nice to meet you," Monica said as she walked into the office and over to Aly. So this was Jason's mother. This should be interesting.

"Hi, Dr. Quartermaine. Nice to meet you too."

"Please, call me Monica. What brings you by today?"

"I heard there is an opening for the Head of Pediatrics and I wanted to apply."

"Yes it's still open. Are you a doctor? Last I heard, you were working as Sonny and Carly's nanny." Monica had a puzzling look on her face.

"I'm still there, however I'm looking to get back into my original line of work. I was, or still am, a doctor but I'm not practicing now. My parents were both doctors, and they even lived in Port Charles years ago before we moved out to the Upper East Side. I trained to become a doctor as well, but on the night that I graduated, we were in a horrific car accident, and I couldn't save them. I blamed myself for a long time, that I was a doctor and I was already a failure. I haven't done anything in medicine ever since but I try to keep up with the latest technology and advances."

"That's a very heart breaking story. I know what it's like to lose someone close to you. It takes forever to get over it, if you ever do. My son AJ was killed years ago in a bad accident too, and I had finally come to terms with it. Then what happened to Emily was devastating. She was in the prime of her life and very happy with Nik and Spencer. I was relieved when they finally captured the real text message killer." She looked at Aly. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to go off on a tangent there."

"Please don't worry. It's never easy to handle death," Aly said. "Even doctors."

"Thank you. By the way, here is the application. Do you have your resume with you? If not, you can always drop it off or fax it to me here."

"I planned ahead. Here it is," and she handed it to Monica.

"Great. Take a few minutes to fill it out and then you can give it to Elizabeth. I need to run out for another appointment, but she will get it to me," Monica said as they walked back into the lounge near the nurses' station. "It was so nice to meet you, Aly."

"Same here, Monica. Thank you, and talk to you soon." With that, Monica left. Aly filled out the application, and handed it to Liz.

"Hi, Liz. Would you give this to Monica? She's expecting it. How are you?" Aly grinned at her.

"Better than ever, thanks to you," she winks and smiles at Aly. She had never seen Liz happier than she was with Jason. Aly had watched Cam and Jake a few times so that Liz and Jason could meet up. It was all on the down low. Aly had been a real friend to Liz. "I'll be sure that Dr. Quartermaine gets this. I'd love to chat, but I've got to get back to work. Talk to you a bit later?"

"Absolutely. Bye, Liz." As she was heading to the elevators, she heard a familiar voice call her name.

"Hey Aly."

She turned around and saw Nikolas standing there. "Hi, Nikolas. How are you today?" she asked with concern.

"A little better. I stopped in to see Liz but saw you first. How's it going with you?"

"Good. I just came from sitting down with Dr. Quartermaine about the Head of Pediatrics job. Before you ask and get that puzzling look, I'll explain."

"Ok, because I was about ready to do that," he laughed, then he got serious. "What's wrong, Aly?"

"I don't know if you've heard it or not, but Maxie started some trouble with me the other night. I'm not sure if you remember, but the night of the ball when Alexis found Ric pinned to the wall with the sword, I was doing everything I could to help him and get Robin and Patrick prepared for the surgery."

"I kind of remember that. Most of the night was a blur," Nikolas said.

"Understandably so. Then the night of Logan's accident, when we came in, I was rattling off all this medical jargon to Patrick and the staff. Well, Maxie happened to be there both times and started questioning me. When I didn't give her any answers that would satisfy her, she went searching for her answers."

"Go on," Nikolas said.

"The other night at Kelly's, Logan and I were there, and she was there with Lucky. Robin just happened to walk in and started to ask me how I knew all the medical terms. I started to answer and was interrupted by Maxie. You know she had to put her two cents into the pot and stir it up. She found out that my parents were both doctors, they had lived in Port Charles up in Fox Hollow until they had to suddenly move, and that we were in a tragic accident and they died. I tried to do everything I could to save them, but I couldn't. It was the night I graduated med school, and just as quickly as my career took off, it came to a screeching halt."

"Oh my god, Aly, that is so awful. I had no idea. Believe me, Maxie isn't my favorite person in the world either, after what she did to Liz. I'll save that for another time. What happened afterwards?"

"I blamed myself for everything, if we hadn't gone to graduation, we wouldn't have been on that road and gotten into the accident. I sat in my house for the whole year afterwards, blaming myself, wanting to see no one, and not facing the world. I wasn't ready to move on yet…." she trailed off.

"We sound so much alike. I'd like to get together and talk. I haven't really been able to sit down and talk to someone about the night of Emily's murder and the Ball. Do you have some time tomorrow?"

"Yeah in the morning. I don't have to be at Jax's until one. Where do you want to meet?"

"Definitely not Kelly's. How about the Metro Court around 10?" Nikolas asked.

"Perfect. See you then. In the meantime, hang in there. My phone is always on if you need to talk to someone. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Aly," and with that she left the hospital, and Nikolas went off to find Liz.

After her chat with Nikolas, Aly headed over to Carly's for another day with the boys. As soon as she gets there, she decides to surprise them. "Hey guys, wanna go for ice cream?" she says with a smile.

"Yeah," they both yell. They pile into Aly's car and take off. As soon as they walked in, Aly wanted to turn around ---' I don't think this is the best idea I had, 'she thinks to herself. She sees Maxie there already, and she doesn't want to have any trouble today, not with Michael and Morgan in tow. They head up to the counter and order from Mike.

They had a quiet afternoon at Kelly's and then back home. Maxie behaved herself and didn't start any trouble. Aly wasn't in the mood for it so it's a good thing Maxie stayed quiet. She waited for Carly to come home and all she wanted to do was head back home, but first she needed to run over to see Logan. She really missed seeing him today.

She knocked. He opened the door, and greeted her with a kiss. "Hey sweetie." He made her heart melt.

"Hi back handsome," she said to him. "How you doin'? Something sure does smell good, what have you been up to?"

"Well…I made you dinner. I can cook too," he said with a grin.

"Logan, you shouldn't have. You should still be resting," she said.

"I know, but you've taken such good care of me I wanted to do something to thank you."

She smiled.

"There is one condition though," he said with a sly smile on his face. She kinked her eyebrow, "One condition?"

"You have to spend the night here, I don't want you going out and getting in an accident. No need for a repeat performance of our last dinner together."

"Logan….I," she hesitated.

"We don't have to do anything Aly. I just want to wake up tomorrow morning with you in my arms. I think its just what the doctor ordered," he smiled.

Aly agreed to stay. Everyone had warned her about Logan. Their words about him still lingered in the back of her mind, and sometimes she wondered if she should trust him. She convinced herself that it was her lack of experience talking, because he'd never given her a reason not to trust him.

The two spent the evening enjoying their dinner and cuddling up on the couch. The morning found the two wrapped in each other's arms. Logan had been a perfect gentleman.

She decided to stop at Kelly's again this morning before meeting Nikolas. She realized she had been spending a significant amount of time at the diner. She giggled at that. On her way out, she ran into Sam and Lucky coming in.

"Hi Aly," Lucky said with a smile.

"Hi…" she barely got out. She wasn't sure what it was, but something about Lucky Spencer that made her heart skip a beat.

"Aly, do you know Sam?" he asked.

"Um, no, afraid not," she said, again struggling to speak.

"Hi, I'm Sam McCall," she offered her hand.

Aly shook her hand, "Hi, nice to meet you. I, I don't mean to be rude, but I need to get going. Sam, it was nice to meet you, and it was good to see ya Lucky," she said and bolted out the door.

"What in the heck is wrong with you?" she asked herself. She regained her composure and was on her way to the Metro Court.


	5. Can I Trust You?

**Chapter 5- Can I Trust You**

Aly couldn't wait to sit down and really get to know the Cassadine prince. She did her homework, and discovered that Nikolas' great-grandfather was of noble blood and a close friend of Tsar Nicholas II. Upon further research, she found that his family had connections to the royal Romanov family. Maybe our families have a tie somewhere along the line, she thought. Someone in the royal family could have changed the spelling of the last name to hide their identity after the attack on the Tsar and his family. Romanov and Romanav could be the same for all I know, she thought as she pulled into the Metro Court parking lot. Nikolas' family was originally from Russia before the Revolution and had to flee to Greece. It was there that they had grown an empire of power and wealth, and what Nikolas would eventually inherit.

She was a few minutes early, so she walked into the Metro Court restaurant to grab a table for them. When she looked up again, Nikolas was standing there. "Hey," she said with a smile. "How are you?" she said as he sat down.

"Not too bad." The waiter came over and asked if they wanted anything to eat. Nikolas looked at him and said, "Coffee would be great. Aly?"

"Coffee, please. Thanks." And with that, the waiter left. "Something you said the other night puzzled me. We were talking about Maxie, and you said she wasn't your favorite person because of what she did to Liz. What happened, if you don't mind me asking?"

"No, I don't. Elizabeth and I were close friends. She and I became close after my brother was presumed dead."

Aly looked clueless. She hadn't read that anywhere in his history. "Your brother?"

"Yes," he said. "Lucky is my half brother, and Lulu is my half sister. We share the same mother, Laura Spencer. I knew growing up that I had a half-brother, and eventually we became close. I came to Port Charles when I was fifteen. That's when I heard I had a sister. I found out she was sick and donated bone marrow to her. Ever since then, we've had a special bond."

"Wow. That would have been quite a shock to me, too," Aly said.

"Emily and I met one New Year's Eve at her house and have been friends ever since. Then it was Elizabeth, Lucky, Emily and me. The four of us were the best of friends. Elizabeth and Lucky were married and Lucky was a cop. Lucky was injured in the line of duty and he began battling a drug addiction. Then they started having problems. Maxie had grown close to Lucky after her friend's death, found out about his addiction and used it to her advantage. She supplied him with the drugs and eventually pulled Lucky away from Elizabeth, and broke up their marriage. After some time, Lucky and Elizabeth managed to find their way back to each other and remarried, but it wasn't mean to be, and it didn't last."

The waiter brought their coffee. "I see why Maxie isn't your favorite person," Aly said. "I don't trust her as far as I can throw her."

Nikolas laughed at that. "Tell me a little bit more about what happened with Maxie that night at Kelly's. We really didn't have a chance to talk at the hospital."

"Logan and I just walked in from the hospital and wanted to eat. Robin came in and asked me how I knew all those medical terms. She was curious. I wasn't sure what to say and started talking, and Maxie jumped in. It seems she had enlisted, or should I say blackmailed, Spinelli to help her find the dirt on me. Both my parents were doctors and we came up to Port Charles for summer vacations and holidays. Apparently my parents used to live here and had to move suddenly, which is when we ended up in New York City. But I don't remember living here full time. It bothers me that I don't know, and am trying to figure it out."

"That's going to take time, Aly. If there is anything I can do to help, let me know," Nikolas said.

"Thanks, I will. I was labeled as a genius when I was a kid and went to med school at 16. It took me seven years to get through it, with my parents there every step of the way. We were looking forward to the night of my graduation, so excited. After graduation, we headed back home. Before we knew what was happening, we were in a crash and it was awful. As a newly trained doctor, I knew what had to be done. I tried to do everything I could to help them, keep them with me and conscious until help arrived. It wasn't enough. When help arrived, it was just about too late. By the time we got to the hospital, they were gone. I blamed myself for all of it."

"Aly, how could you? It wasn't your fault."

"I didn't see it that way. We were on the road, coming from my graduation, and if I hadn't gone to graduation, to Harvard, or even out that night, they would still be here with me. The days after the accident were a blur. I couldn't remember a thing. I sat alone in my house for the past year, not wanting to see daylight, friends or anyone. I was in a dark place in my life and wasn't sure I could or ever would find my way out." She looked at him. "I finally found the strength to pick myself up and try to start living again. I realized that my parents would never want me to live my life this way, this sad and alone. That wasn't what they wanted. They wanted me to be happy no matter what happened. I drew strength from their words and memories and started again. That's how I ended up here."

"It takes a strong woman to go through what you did by yourself. I feel the same way with what happened to Emily at the Ball, I blame myself. It was supposed to be our special night, a night full of celebration and excitement over our engagement. Instead it turned out to be the worst night that Wyndemere has ever seen, and the worst of my entire life."

"Nikolas, that wasn't your fault either. You weren't to blame for what happened with Ric, or even with Emily. You didn't know it was going to happen. I've learned that you can't beat yourself up over the events that took place. It was out of your control. It's always the ones that are left behind that have it the worst. We blame ourselves. It makes your mind do all sorts of things."

Nikolas looked at her with admiration. We are so much alike; no wonder we get along so well. He thought for a minute and wasn't sure if he should talk about it.

"What's on your mind?" Aly said. She noticed the look. "You have me worried. What's wrong? You can talk to me."

"I thought at first I had been imagining this. I've been seeing Emily everywhere I go lately. A few days after the ball, she appeared. It may sound strange, but only I can see or hear her."

Aly asked, "Does anyone else know about this?"

"No," Nikolas said. "I haven't told anyone. I didn't know what to make of it. Not too long ago, Robin and Patrick found out that I have a tumor growing in my head, and if I don't have the surgery, I'll die. I don't want to go on without her, and this has been a miracle for me because I can see her, feel her, touch and talk to her. It's like she never left. But I think that my being able to see her is caused by the tumor. I'm afraid to have the surgery because I'm afraid to lose her. But on the other hand, this is not the best way to live. And Spencer…" he trailed off.

"Spencer deserves to have his father around for a long time," Aly said. "He's only two years old. Way too young to lose his father. Just think about it. Maybe you need to think and sort through all the feelings and emotions and somehow try to move on. You can always talk to me. I'm here for you."

"It's a lot to take in and deal with. Thanks for being a friend and wanting to listen. I will think about it. We are a lot alike. I think there was a reason that you were brought to Port Charles. You will help a lot of people." Even if she helps one person, it will be worth her coming to town, he thought. She has a heart of gold.

She smiled. "I hope so." She looked at her watch. Nearly two hours had gone by. "I should really get going. I need to head over to Carly's to watch the boys. I will talk to you soon, Nikolas."

"Talk to you later, Aly." And she left. He thought, 'I can trust her. She isn't out to hurt anyone. She only wants what's best for everyone she knows. She is an amazing woman, much like Emily was. Emily…. If only she was here, she would guide him and help him figure out what to do. Maybe Aly can help.' He paid the bill and headed out the door.

She was with Michael and Morgan a few days later when the call that she was waiting for came in. Her cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Aly? This is Monica Quartermaine."

"Hi, Monica. It's nice to hear from you. How are you? What can I do for you?"

"Actually, I was calling with some good news. If you're still interested in the job as the Head of Pediatrics, the job is yours."

"Really? That would be fantastic. Thank you. I'm looking forward to working with you." Her mind raced and couldn't think of what to do first. "When do you want me to start?"

"Since it's Wednesday, finish up the week with Carly, Jax and the boys. Plus it gives Carly and Sonny time to make other arrangements for them. We will also be having a little welcome reception on Monday for you in lounge if you wanted to invite anyone. I'll see you on Monday for your first day."

"Thanks, Monica. I can't wait. I'll see you then. Bye," and she hung up the phone. Talk about a good turn of events. This was fabulous, and what an incredible place to go and work. She had to break the news to Carly. But I know she'd be happy for me since she pushed me to do it.

Carly came in after dinner. The boys were upstairs playing their video games and she was relaxing, reading a book. "Carly, hey, how was your day?"

"Insane, or should I say, just another day at the Metro Court," she winked. She sat down beside Aly. Carly grew to love Aly like a sister.

"I have something to tell you," Aly started.

"Shoot."

"I took your advice and went to the hospital a few days later and applied for the Head of Pediatrics job with Dr. Quartermaine."

"That's great," Carly said.

"Monica called me this afternoon and said the job is mine," she said excitedly. "I am happy but sad to leave you, Jax, Sonny and the boys. I love you guys."

"That doesn't mean you can't come over and visit. The boys will want that. Me too, and if you don't come over, I'll come to the hospital and pull you out of there."

They both laughed. "Deal. She wants me to start on Monday. I know that's short notice and I'm sorry about that."

"Sonny and I will work something out, don't worry about that. I'm glad that you got it. You will be fantastic at that job." Carly hugged her.

"I should get home. I have a few things to get done. I'll talk to you later. Tell the boys that I said bye."

"I will, bye, Aly."

After leaving Carly's house, Aly thought that telling Sonny right away might be in her best interest. She drove to his office. She sat in her car for a few moments before going in. Sonny had become like a father to her. He was protective of her, not just because she was in danger because of his line of work but because he saw qualities in her that he had hoped his own daughter would take on. She wasn't sure why but she was nervous to tell him. She was afraid he'd be disappointed. Finally, she went in.

"Aly, I've been expecting you," he said, offering her a seat.

"I wasn't planning on coming by," she said.

"What is it? Something is bothering you," he asked.

"I have something to tell you and I'm not sure that you are going to like it much," she said shyly.

"Well, I'm going to guess and say it has something to do with you being a doctor or something?"

"You heard huh?" she said.

"Yeah, Jason filled me in."

"I applied for a job at General Hospital. Head of Pediatrics."

"Going straight to the top?" he teased her.

She was silent.

"Well….did you get the job or not?"

"I did, "she smiled.

Sonny stood up, as if he were angry. He walked around his desk to where Aly was sitting, she stood and he gave her the biggest hug ever.

Aly was in shock.

"Congratulations Aly. You will make a great doctor."

"Thanks, I, I really wasn't sure how you'd feel about it."

"Of course I'm happy for you. You have become a part of our family, Aly. You will continue to be a part of our family. The boys love you, Carly loves you, and I love you. "

Aly was surprised at Sonny's confession, "I love all of you as well. I feel like I'm a part of this family and it's comforting to know that that feeling isn't going to leave even though I will be working at the hospital."

Sonny assured her that she would still very much be a part of the family. He insisted that he keep guards on her as well. Aly was really starting to get excited about the new adventure she was about to start.

After she left Sonny, she headed over to Logan's for a little while. They were going to have dinner. She couldn't wait to tell him the news. As soon as he opened the door, she screamed, "I got the job!!!!"

"That's my girl," Logan said and hugged her tightly. Dinner was just about ready. She stayed for dinner and had to get home. So much to do and not too much time to do it in. She had to get started tomorrow.

The next couple of days with the boys and the weekend off were a blur. She had to call Spinelli and Nikolas, and told them that she got the job. She also asked them if they would be there for the mini reception that Monica was throwing for her. It would mean the world to her, she said to them, and they agreed to go. She was so excited.

The alarm was going off….she woke up in a fog. Why was the alarm going off??? Suddenly it dawned on her. 'It's Monday, and today is my first day at GH,' she thought to herself. That got her moving like wildfire. An hour later, she was walking into GH, determined to find Monica and her new office.

She walked up to the nurses' station. Liz looked up and smiled. "Hi, Aly. Congratulations on the new job. We are so happy to have you here. Are you nervous?"

"A little bit. I'm happy that you are here. It was so hard for me to make new friends when I was growing up, because I was always around adults. I never got to hang out with girls my own age and have someone to go shopping with and do all the girl things. I'm so glad I met you. This is wonderful."

"You are a good friend, Aly. I know it was under strange circumstances when we met, but I consider you a friend, someone I can turn to. I'm looking forward to our many adventures together."

"Me, too." Monica walked up to them. "Hi, Monica. I'm all set."

"Great. Hello, Elizabeth," she said, trying not to be rude to her. She turned back to Aly. "Let's get you settled in."

They walked over to Aly's office. It was bigger than she had ever imagined it could be. Monica left her on her own for a while. She had a half hour to kill before the reception. She walked around the corner and nearly slammed into Lucky.

"Hey," he said.

"Hi, there. What brings you up here today?"

"I needed to speak to Elizabeth about Cam, and since I was in the area this morning, I stopped in." He looked at her and noticed the white coat and her ID. "Are you working here?"

She smiled and said, "Yes I am. Carly pushed me to apply for the job the day after Maxie spilled everything at Kelly's. Carly heard bits and pieces of it when she was in the kitchen with Mike, and she asked me about it the next morning. She remembered that GH was looking for someone for the Pediatrics department and pushed me to apply for it. And here I am."

"Well, my cousin is full of surprises, isn't she?" Lucky asked.

What is it with these Spencer siblings, is everyone in the town related, she thought. "Let me guess, that's Carly."

"Yes, my father Luke and her mom Bobbie are brother and sister."

"Oh ok, I got it now. Thanks for sharing that, I had no idea. Lucky, do you have to run off, or will you be here for a while?" Aly asked. She was hoping that he'd stay. "Monica is throwing me a reception in the lounge in a few minutes, and it would be nice if you'd stay and join us."

"Hmmm. Sure I'd love to. Let me call in and I'll see you there." He picked up his phone and off he went.

A few minutes later, Aly walked into the lounge and saw not only Logan, Spinelli, Nikolas and Lucky, but Liz and also Carly. She wanted to come and show her support as well. That touched her.

Monica started the festivities. "Everyone, I'd like to welcome GH's newest staff member, and Head of Pediatrics, Dr. Aly Russell."

Everyone clapped. "Thank you. It will be my pleasure working with all of you, and my honor. If there's anything I can do to help anyone, please don't hesitate to ask."

The group milled around for a while. Nikolas came up and offered congratulations, and a hug. Spinelli, in his own Spinelli way, did the same. Logan congratulated her and gave her a kiss.

Once the crowd left, she went back to her office and settled in to read her new cases and get to work. 'Finally', she thought,' I have arrived.'


	6. New Discoveries

**Chapter 6- New Discoveries**

It had been a few months since Maxie had opened her big mouth. Aly had officially joined the staff at General Hospital as the head of Pediatrics. She had several new friends, and was very busy between work, Logan and her research on her father's past.

"Hey Spinelli! Find anything we can use yet?" Aly said as she sat down at the table where Spinelli was pecking away at his keyboard.

"The Jackal has found some information. Apparently your parents lived here in Port Charles at Fox Hollow for several years. At the time your father was working at the NYU Medical Center, although it seems strange that he would travel so far." He told her.

"Okay, is that all? What about your father? Did you find anything on him?" She asked.

"There are no records of a Peter Romanoski here in Port Charles or anywhere else in the state of New York. It's like he never existed."

"That's strange. There has to be something out there. You know I haven't searched Fox Hollow yet. Maybe you should help me with that," she offered.

He agreed and they left Kelly's. Once they arrived at Fox Hollow they split up. Spinelli took the downstairs and Aly took the upstairs. The first room she searched had been her parent's bedroom. She searched through drawers and the desk. Finding nothing, she moved to the closet. In the closet she found a shoebox full of documents and letters.

"Spinelli! Get up here! I think I found something!" Aly yelled down the stairs.

He scurried in the room where Aly had the contents of the box scattered about on the floor. The two started sifting through the papers.

Aly came across something, "Spinelli, take a look at this.." she said as she handed him a stack of letters.

He read one of them: Dear Peter, I know we cannot see each other anymore. I must tell you I am pregnant with your child. I will raise the child alone and love the child as much as I love you. You have given me a miracle; I only wish we could share it together. You have been the love of my life Peter Romanoski. I'll never forget you.

Noticing the puzzled look on his face Aly asked, "Spin, what is it?" He handed her the letter.

"Oh my God. Peter Romanoski…..he's really Peter Romanav. Spin. Do you know what this means?"

"I…I can't believe it." He stuttered.

"Spinelli! We have the same father."

"How?" he asked.

"Maybe there is more. Look at these letters. There have to be answers in them. Start reading!" She said.

After reading every letter they could find they had answers. Aly's father had an ongoing affair with Spinelli's mother. He pretended to be Peter Romanoski so that Aly's mother would not find out. When her father received the news of his mistress' pregnancy, he made the decision to live in the city full time.

"This is so hard to believe," Spin said as he continued reading over the letters.

"There is only one way to be sure that it's all true," she said.

"The Jackal doesn't follow," he said.

"It's simple. We get a DNA test. Then we'll know for sure," she said with a smile. The thought of Spinelli being her brother was exciting. They had had a connection since they first met. Now they knew why.

The next day the two went to General Hospital and had their blood work done. They wouldn't know for a few days. The waiting was going to drive them both insane.

Aly and Spin went back to Kelly's for a pre-celebratory cup of coffee. Just when Aly thought the day was going well in walked Maxie.

While Aly was at the counter getting a refill, Maxie chatted with Spinelli.

"How are you doing? I really miss our little get togethers," she said, with a flirty tone.

"The Jackal has been busy, no thanks to you," he said.

"Now, that's no way to talk to a lady. Especially one who has done so much for you," she said as she lightly kissed him on the cheek.

"What's going on here?" Aly demanded.

"I was just telling Spinelli how much I miss our little chats," Maxie said with an evil grin.

"I bet you do. You know Maxie, I'm glad we ran into you today. There are two things I wanted to say to you," Aly said in her most polite tone.

"What's that?" Maxie asked.

"Well, the first of all, stay the hell away from Spinelli. You got what you wanted from him, now leave him alone," she warned her.

Maxie was unable to say anything before Aly continued, "And I wanted to thank you," she said.

"For what?" Maxie asked.

"For being the incredible Bitch that you are. Without you, we may have never known."

Now Maxie was confused, "known what?" she asked, the anger evident in her tone of voice.

"Spinelli is my brother," she simply said.

"We don't know that yet," Spinelli interjected.

"Yes we do. You are my brother. And therefore I am entitled to say this. Stay away from him Maxie. Because if you don't, you're gonna have to deal with me," she warned her again.

Maxie gave Aly a glare and then left. Aly sat back down at the table.

"Now that that is out of the way, we can focus on really getting to know each other," she said.

Spinelli smiled. A new discovery like this can really change a person's life.

The two chatted for a bit longer. Spinelli had work to do for Jason and Sonny so Aly decided to catch up with Logan. She couldn't wait to tell him all of her good news.

"Hey, I was just about to call you," he said has he gave her a hug, "I thought you had to work today."

"Nope, not today. I have been working though. Spinelli and I had a breakthrough today," she said.

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah. We found a shoebox of old letters at the house. We started reading them and we found all of our answers. Apparently my father had an affair while he was living here in Port Charles. The lucky lady happened to be Spinelli's mother."

"So, the two of you….you have the same father?" He asked.

"Yes! Isn't it exciting? I have a brother. Here I thought I had no family and all along I did," she said with a huge smile.

"That's great, Aly. I'm really happy for you," he pulled her in close and started kissing her. He lowered her to the couch and continued kissing her.

Things really started moving fast. Aly was completely caught up in the moment, Logan continued kissing her passionately.

"Aly…."he said between kisses, "Aly I love you…..I want to make love to you," he whispered in her ear.

"Logan…I…." she stammered.

"Shh….let me make love to you Aly. I love you so much," he kept kissing her all over.

"Logan, I…I can't," she quickly got up, grabbed her purse, and rushed out of Logan's apartment.

Logan was stunned. 'What the hell just happened?' he thought to himself. He decided to go after her but ended up on the docks. There he ran into Sam. He noticed that she seemed upset.

"Sam? Is everything okay?"he asked.

"No, no its not," she said between sniffles.

"Anything I can do to help?"

"I doubt it…"she said.

Suddenly it started pouring down rain. Logan grabbed Sam's hand and led her back to his apartment and out of the rain. He offered her a blanket and she wrapped up and sat down on his couch.

"What's going on Sam?"he asked.

"I had a fight with Lucky. He kicked me out of his house and told me he never wanted to see me again," she finally said. He held her hand, and brushed the hair away from her eyes. She looked at him and he couldn't resist, he leaned in and kissed her. They found themselves unable to take their hands off one another.

Aly had gone for a walk in the park to think things through. What was she running from? Why couldn't she sleep with Logan? She could come up with no explanations. She had fallen in love with him. She had dreamt of him telling her he was in love with her as well. She decided to go back to his apartment to apologize.

She knocked then let herself in, "Logan, I…..What the hell is this?" she said as she saw Logan and Sam wrapped up in sheets.

"Aly….it's not….it's not what it looks like," Logan stuttered.

"Really? Because it looks like the two of you just had sex. What? Did you tell her you loved her so she'd sleep with you? Because that's why you said it to me right? Just so I'd sleep with you, and when that didn't work you ran out and found the first willing body. I can't believe I came back here, I can't believe that I came back to tell you that I love you and that I wanted to make love to you…how could I have been such a fool?" Aly ranted.

"Aly, I love you. I do. Let me explain," Logan begged.

"No, let me explain something to you Logan. I took a huge chance by even getting involved with you and it makes me sick to think that I came back here to give you the biggest chance of all."

"Aly, please. I'm in love with you," he continued to plea.

"You don't know what love is!" She screamed and left, slamming the door behind her. She ran through the rain and got in her car and started to drive. She was done taking chances.


	7. Crash and Burn

**Chapter 7- Crash and Burn**

Aly couldn't fight back the tears any longer. They streamed down her face as she drove through the rain at unsafe speeds. She was hurt and angry and taking it all out on the road. Finding Logan and Sam together kept replaying in her head. She pushed the gas pedal to the floor and tried to push it out of her mind. The rain was coming down in sheets, but she wasn't paying attention to it. She was on the outside of town on Tuckerton Road when she hit a large puddle and began to hydroplane. She lost all control of the car, spun out and slammed into a guardrail.

Nikolas had been out for a drive that evening as well. Being at Wyndemere during a storm reminded him of that tragic night. The memories haunted him, and he needed to escape, so he went out. He came around the bend on Tuckerton Road and saw the car smashed up against the guardrail. He stopped and got out to help the driver. The car was so badly damaged, he couldn't even tell what model and make it was. When he realized it was Aly, his adrenaline took over.

"Aly! Aly, can you hear me?" he screamed as he tried to open the door.

She was unconscious and very badly hurt. Nikolas got out his phone to call for help, "Dammit! No service!"

'Not again,' he thought. 'This isn't going to happen again. I won't let it.' The memories of the Ball flooded back along with the feelings, but he knew he needed to push them aside. 'I couldn't help Emily,' he thought, 'but I can help Aly.'' She needs me.'

He continued on trying to get Aly out of the car. It was going to be up to him to get her to the hospital. Finally he was able to get the door open and carefully pull her out of the car. As he drove to General Hospital, he continued to try and call ahead to let the doctors know he was bringing Aly in. Still no service.

He carefully picked Aly up and took her into the ER, "I need some help here," he yelled.

The orderlies quickly brought a gurney and he laid her down. Dr. Drake was the first doctor to reach them.

"What happened?" he asked Nikolas as he checked her eyes and gave her a look over. He didn't even realize it was Aly.

"I came upon her car out on Tuckerton Road, she must have lost control and hit the guardrail," Nikolas told him.

"Any ID on her?" Dr. Drake asked.

"Patrick….its Aly," Nikolas said solemnly.

"Oh my God," Liz said as she had just arrived to help Dr. Drake.

"We've got one of our own here, folks, time to step up our game," Dr. Drake announced.

Aly regained consciousness just before they took her to the OR. She looked up and saw Nikolas there.

"Aly, you're gonna be ok. Hang in there," Nikolas said as he held her hand. "I'm here."

"Don't…..call…..Logan," she barely got out before they whisked her away to the OR.

Nadine was at the nurses' station in the ER and saw what just happened. After Patrick and his team went in to attend to Aly, she called Dr. Quartermaine, who was still upstairs in her office. She told her that Aly was in an accident, she didn't know the extent of her injuries and that Patrick was with her now. Monica told Nadine she would be right down to help Patrick and the team.

While Aly was in surgery, Nikolas went outside and made a couple of calls, since he couldn't use his cell inside the ER. First he wanted to call Lesley to check on Spencer and make sure he was alright. Anytime anything bad happened, Nikolas' first concern was his son. As soon as he hung up with her, he had to call Carly. 'She needs to know what happened. She and Aly are close' he thought to himself. He dialed her number.

"Hello?"

"Carly, it's Nikolas. Get down to the hospital. There's been an accident…." He paused, "it's Aly."

"How is she? What happened? Will she be ok?" Carly had no idea what to think, and her mind started racing. 'Who did this to her? And why?' she thought. She had to block out her thoughts and listen to Nikolas.

"She will be, but she'll need your support. I was out on Tuckerton Road and saw the car wreck, got her out of the car and brought her in. Just get down here as soon as you can. She's in surgery now."

"I'll be right there. See you shortly," Carly said. She quickly filled Jax in and ran out the door, leaving him with Michael and Morgan. She'd call Lulu on the way to the hospital to see if she could watch the boys and then Jax could come later. There was no time to waste. She needed to call Sonny as well.

She dialed the first call. He picked up. "Yeah?"

"Sonny, it's Carly."

"Not now, I'm in the middle of something…"

"Sonny, NOW," she said forcefully. "It's Aly; she was in an accident and is in surgery at General Hospital. I'm on my way over there right now. You should get over there, too."

"Let me finish up here, it will only take a few minutes and I'll be there," and he hung up. Two minutes later, he sent Max and Milo out of his office and he flew out the door. He loved Aly like a daughter and didn't want anything to happen to her. After all, she is now part of the family. He got over there as fast as he could.

Since Jason was close to Aly as well, he needed to call Jason and get him to the hospital, too. "Jason, it's Sonny."

"Yes?"

"Get down to the hospital. Aly was in an accident. She's in surgery right now. She needs all the friends she can get. Carly is on her way over there."

"Be right there," and with that, Jason hung up. He got on his motorcycle and headed over to the hospital. He was hoping that Aly would be ok. He was there within five minutes and went upstairs.

Carly hated being pushy with Sonny but she was used to it. This time, it was an emergency and he needed to get to General Hospital fast. Aly was part of their family, and they needed her as much as she needed them right now. 'And as much love as we can give her', she said to herself.

She dialed again, almost positive Lulu would have her phone right next to her. Of course she did as she was sitting at Kelly's, chatting with Spinelli. "Hey Carly," Lulu said. "What's up?"

"Hey, I need your help. Can you go to the house and watch the boys for a bit, Aly was in an accident on Tuckerton Road. Nikolas was driving by, saw the wreck, and got her out. He took her in to General Hospital. She's in surgery right now and Jax and I both want to be there for her."

"Yeah, I'm on my way," she said and hung up.

Carly made her way to the hospital parking lot and went upstairs to find Nikolas. Back at Kelly's, Lulu turned to Spinelli to give him the news.

"That was Carly," she said and looked sad.

"What is wrong, Blonde One?"

"I gotta go to Carly's, Aly was in a car accident and Carly needs someone to watch the boys so she can go to the hospital to be with her," Lulu told Spinelli as she gathered her things.

Lulu left and Spinelli sat for a moment trying to take in what he had just heard. 'I can't lose my sister, I just found her' he thought to himself. He quickly gathered his things and went to the hospital.

Spinelli flew through the ER, and ran into Nadine. She told them that Nikolas was up on the 5th floor, waiting for any news. Nadine said to Spinelli, "I'll be up there as soon as I can to offer my support and sit with you."

"Thank you, Nurse Nadine. The Jackal appreciates your worry and concern." He smiled at her. With that, he headed upstairs. As soon as he got off the elevator, he ran into Nikolas, Jason, Carly and Sonny. "Any news on the Care Giving One?" he asked Nikolas.

"Not yet. We are all still waiting."

"Nikolas, what happened?" Carly asked.

"I went out for a drive. I couldn't stay at Wyndemere. The rain reminded me of the night of the Ball and Emily. I needed to get out of there for a while. I started driving around. As I came around the bend on Tuckerton, I saw a car that slammed into the guardrail. I stopped the car and got out to help. The car was so badly wrecked that, at first, I didn't know who it was. Then I realized it was Aly. I called to her, and I didn't get a response. I tried to use my cell to call for help. No service of course, not in that area of town. I knew I had to help her and get her out and to the hospital if she had any chance at all."

They waited for him to go on.

"Once I got her out and into my car, and it wasn't easy, I got up here as fast as I could. When I brought her in, Patrick didn't even recognize her, she was that banged up. He couldn't believe it. She woke up for a minute before they wheeled her into the operating room."

"Thank God you were out there," Carly said to Nikolas. "She had an angel looking over her shoulder tonight. No telling how long she would have been out there."

At that moment, Robin and Patrick came out with the news about Aly, followed by Monica.

Everyone gathered around to hear what the doctors had to say.

"Aly has been taken up to ICU. She suffered from some very severe injuries, including head trauma and a broken hip. We'll be keeping a close on eye on her for the next 48 hours," Patrick provided.

"Can we see her?" Carly asked.

"You can one person at a time. It's nice to see she has such a support system, but like I said, one person at a time, she is still in critical condition," Robin answered.

"Where's Logan?" Elizabeth asked.

"She asked me not to call him," Nikolas told her.

"Well someone needs to. He'll want to know," Elizabeth said.

"The Jackal will call the Unworthy One," he said. Nadine was on break, finally came up to the 5th floor and found Spinelli, along with everyone else. She joined the crowd to hear what was going on.

"Spinelli, you may want to take a look at this," Elizabeth said as she handed him an envelope.

"What is it?" Nadine asked him. Everyone was now gathered around Spinelli.

"It's the DNA results we've been waiting on," Spinelli said.

"DNA results? For what?" Carly questioned him.

"We've been searching for my father," he offered.

"Ok, so what does that have to do with Aly?" Sonny chimed in.

Spinelli slowly opened the envelope and looked at the results, "Aly and the Jackal have the same father, she's….she's my sister," he couldn't help but smile. Finally the truth was out. Everyone was stunned.

"You should see her first," Jason told his friend, "I'll call Logan."

After everyone had had a chance to visit with Aly, Spinelli went back in and sat by her bedside.

"Well, Gracious Care Giving One, it's true. You are my sister," he said softly as he held her hand. He sat there, praying for her to wake up. He wanted her to know the truth; he wanted to see her smile. His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. It was Logan.

"Can I have some time with her?" he asked.

Spinelli agreed and left the two alone, not knowing what had transpired earlier that evening.

Logan sat down and held her hand in his. He couldn't believe this was happening. He spoke softly to her, "Aly, I'm so sorry. I love you Aly, please wake up."

The next day came without warning. Spinelli was allowed to stay in the room with her overnight. Everyone else went home for the night but promised their return. Several of the staff members had been in and out to check on their friend. Logan had stayed at the hospital all night as well. He wanted to be there when she woke up. Throughout the day Aly had several visitors. She had really touched that many people in her short time in Port Charles.

Spinelli went out for some fresh air while Patrick came in to check on her vitals. While Patrick was checking on her, Aly woke up.

"Hey there. Welcome back," he said.

She struggled to speak, "Hi," was all she could say.

"Do you know what happened?" Patrick asked.

She shook her head 'yes' and tried to say something but couldn't.

"Don't try to talk. Just rest Aly. We are going to take very good care of you," he told her and left her to rest. He found Logan in the waiting room and told him that Aly was awake. Logan quickly made his way to her room. He sat down beside her bed, her eyes were closed.

"Aly…" he whispered.

She opened her eyes. Everything came rushing back to her at the sight of him.

"Hey, how's my girl?" he asked. Had he forgotten everything that had happened?

"Your girl? Are you kidding me, Logan? What the hell are you doing here anyway?" She suddenly had the energy to speak.

"You are my girl, and I am here because I love you," he said.

"I'm not your girl, Logan. You can go to hell. Get out of here," she said angrily.

"Aly, I want to apologize to you."

"You think that an apology is going to make up for what you did? Look at me, Logan! This is your fault! Now get out!"

"Aly…"

"Get the hell out!!!!!!!" she screamed. Spinelli came racing in to see what was going on.

"Get him out of here, Spinelli," she ordered. By that time, Patrick was there too.

"She clearly doesn't want to see you for whatever reason, let's not upset her anymore, she needs to be resting," Patrick said as he had to drag Logan out of the room.

"What was that all about?" Spinelli asked.

"Nothing, I don't want to talk about it," she said.

Patrick came back in to check on her.

"I'm fine. Just keep him out of here," she demanded.

"Spinelli, why don't you tell her the good news?" Patrick suggested.

"What good news?" she asked.

"The DNA results came back yesterday. It seems that the Jackal and the Care Giving One are indeed siblings," he said with a big smile.

She smiled back. It was good news. Patrick asked that Spinelli let her get some rest and that he could come back and visit later on. Spinelli followed the doctor's orders and left his sister alone. He was curious as to what had happened between his fair sister and Logan but decided that Aly would tell him when she was ready.

A few hours later, Lucky came by to ask Aly about the accident.

One of the nurses brought him in to see her, "Aly, Detective Spencer is here to ask you about the accident. The police need a report."

Aly sat up as best she could. This was not how she wanted Lucky to see her. She had definitely developed a little crush on the detective.

"What were you doing out on Tuckerton Road so late at night?" he asked. He was all official, not the usual Lucky that she'd seen before.

"I went for a drive," she said.

"At that hour of night, in a storm?" he asked.

"Yeah, I had a lot on my mind," she said. She wondered if he knew about Sam and Logan. She debated on whether she should bring it up.

"Exactly how fast were you driving?" he continued.

"I'm not sure,"

"Well, you could be facing reckless driving charges here, Aly. I need as much information from you as possible," he informed her.

Aly couldn't believe what she was hearing. She wasn't a criminal. She couldn't have charges filed against her.

"You don't know do you?" she asked.

"Know what?" He was very confused.

"Have you talked to Sam?"

"No, I haven't, we had a fight. What does Sam have to do with your accident?"

She sat there contemplating how to tell him what had happened.

"Aly? What is it?" he asked.

"The night of the accident, I caught Sam and Logan sleeping together," she finally said. There was no better way to tell him.

"What? Sam and Logan? You've got to be kidding me," he was now Lucky, not Detective Spencer.

"I'm not, Lucky. I walked in on them. I got pissed and left and started driving. I was so hurt, so angry. I just kept driving faster and faster. Then all of the sudden I hydroplaned and lost control," Aly was upset, a single tear streamed down her face.

"I cannot believe this. I'm sorry, Aly. "

"It's not your fault, Lucky. It's no one's fault but theirs."

"Well, I'll be sure that there are no charges filed against you. I would have done the same thing; I'm just sorry you ended up in the hospital."

"Yeah, talk about crash and burn. I'm sorry that Sam did this to you, Lucky."

"Me too, I should go. You take care," he said and left.

Aly couldn't get the look on Lucky's face out of her mind. He was really hurt. She didn't understand how two perfectly good people ended up so hurt and so angry. Life wasn't fair.


	8. I Don't Want To Be

Chapter 8- I Don't Want To Be 

A few weeks had passed and finally Aly was able to be released from the hospital. Patrick and Robin were in her hospital room making final notes on her chart.

"You've had more visitors than all of the other patients combined," Patrick said with a smile.

"Well, I can't believe I'm about to say it, but I'm ready to get out of here!" Aly admitted.

They all laughed.

"Only to return as soon as possible to get back to work," she added.

"You need to take it easy, let's not rush things. But to keep you busy, I gathered some patient files for you to take home and look over. Consultation won't hurt you," Robin said as she handed her the files.

"Thanks. I'm gonna need something to do that's for sure," Aly said. Shortly after Patrick and Robin left, Spinelli came in.

"The Brother Jackal thought he might stay with his Noble Sister until she is fully recovered," he said.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd move in with me," she said with a smile.

"Really?"

"Yes really. Fox Hollow is plenty big and you are my brother. Family should be together, and we have a lot of catching up to do."

"Then it's settled. I will inform Stone Cold of this most excellent news."

With that, he left. Elizabeth came in with the release forms for Aly to sign.

"Well, it seems that Jason is going to have some extra room in the Penthouse for you and the boys."

"What do you mean?"

"Spinelli is moving in with me," she smiled.

"Well, then that is something I will have to consider," Liz said, smiled at her and left the room. Liz couldn't help but think, 'what did I do to deserve Jason in my life'. If it wasn't for Aly, she thought, none of this would be happening. She headed back to the nurses' station to file the paperwork.

After Liz left, Aly couldn't wait for Spinelli to come back. He went to bring the car around to the main lobby entrance to go home. She felt very loved at GH, but she longed for being in her own house and bed. In a few minutes, she would be on her way.

"All set to go, Noble Sister?" her brother asked as he walked in.

"You bet I am," she said.

At that moment, Nadine came in with a wheelchair. It was standard hospital procedure to bring a patient being discharged to the lobby with the help of a wheelchair.

"Nurse Nadine, what a most wonderful surprise to see you. I was expecting one of the other nurses to assist my sister." He was still a bit tongue-tied around Nadine, but he was doing the best he could.

"Not a problem at all," Nadine said to Spinelli. "I'm happy to help, and even more excited that Aly is well enough to go home." She turned to Aly. "We will be checking on you throughout the days ahead and during physical therapy. Things will get easier. I am looking forward to working under the best doctor in pediatrics again!"

Aly smiled at Nadine's comment. She couldn't wait to get back to working. Aly carefully got into the wheelchair, and they headed towards the lobby. As she passed her friends, they wished her well and would talk and see her soon. When they arrived at the lobby, she got out of the wheelchair. Spinelli pulled the car up, and she carefully got in. In a flash, they were on their way home.

Aly couldn't wait to get into her own house. She knew she would have a long road ahead of her, but with her brother and her friends, she would get through it.

Being back at Fox Hollow was comforting. The night of the accident continued to haunt Aly. She'd never admit it to anyone out loud, but she truly was devastated. Every morning was a struggle to get herself up and going and face the people in her life.

The weeks passed slowly. Her physical therapy was intense; she came home each day feeling like she had just run a marathon. Her mind was equally as tired as she fought to forget what had happened. She had frequent visitors and always managed to act like all was well. The truth was, she was suffering more than anyone could know.

She continued to take pain medication although her prescription had run out. Being a doctor, there is always a way to get your hands on things such as meds.

She took her pill with a glass of water just as Spinelli walked into the room. "Shouldn't you be finished with those by now?" he asked.

"Physical therapy is killing me. So I got an extra supply," she said, nonchalantly.

"Maybe you should have Patrick or Robin check you out if you are still in that much pain," he said.

"I have metal rods in my hip, I'm pretty sure it's always going to hurt to some degree. Besides, I don't need a doctor to tell me what I already know, I'm one myself, remember?"

"Of course, I just think you should be careful, that's all. Those things can be addicting," he said, gave her a look of concern, grabbed his computer, and left.

Over at Wyndemere, Nikolas was sitting at his desk, staring at a picture of Emily. Although he could still hear, see, touch and talk to her, he knew it was a symptom of his condition, that she wasn't really alive. But he had mixed feelings about getting the surgery. If he decided to have it, he would be faced with the possibility of losing Emily forever. He wasn't ready to do that yet. 'Aly was right about one thing,' he thought. 'Spencer is too young to lose his dad.' His thoughts turned back to Aly. He hadn't visited her in a while, and thought about going to see her. He wanted to talk through some of his feelings and fears he had about his condition and the surgery with her, plus it gave him a reason to check up on his strong-willed friend.

As he was planning out what else he was going to accomplish for the day, Alfred walked in.

"Your brother is here to see you, Mr. Cassadine."

"Thank you, Alfred. Please send him in," Nikolas said.

He got up from his desk as Lucky walked in. "What brings you by today? Is it Lulu?" Knowing that Lulu was involved with Johnny Zacchara made him worry about her safety even more. This was his baby sister. He loved her, and didn't want to see anything happen to her. Lucky pulled him back to the reason he stopped by.

"No," Lucky said. "It's not Lulu, for once. She's doing fine, as far as I know." Lucky took a breath. "Look, there's no easy way to tell you this, so I won't beat around the bush."

"What is it?" They sat down to talk.

"This has to do with Aly…" he started. "When Aly was in the hospital, I was the one assigned to the case. I went and spoke to her about the details of the accident and what she remembered. The chief thought it could be a case of speeding and reckless driving and asked me to check it out. I started asking her questions. Right in the middle of the questions, she looked as if something hit her, and she didn't want to talk about it. She had this look about her, and I felt awful for her."

"She had just been through a horrible crash. I'm surprised she remembered anything after that," Nikolas said.

"I was surprised she did. She asked me if I had spoken to Sam, and I said no. I asked her what Sam had to do with the accident. She told me that she had a fight with Logan earlier that night and left his apartment. When she came back a while later, she walked in and saw Logan and Sam in between the sheets on his floor."

"Are you kidding? Why would Sam do something like that to Aly? She barely knows her."

"I said the same thing to Aly, she had to be kidding. But Nikolas, she wasn't. She said she was hurt and angry and got into her car. She started driving around and went faster and faster. That's when she hydroplaned, lost control of the car, and crashed. Then you found her. Believe me, I'm not happy about what happened and that Sam was involved. It's just another reason that I can't trust her."

"I've got to get to the bottom of this situation. I need to have a talk with my cousin. I don't like anyone, family or not, hurting my friends and that includes you and Aly. Sam needs some straightening out. I'll take care of this."

"When was the last time you went to see Aly?" Lucky asked.

"Funny you should ask, I was going to stop over there in a little while. I'll give you a call once I leave to let you know how she's doing."

"Nikolas, you need to keep in mind that Sam isn't the only one to blame. Logan is just as much at fault as Sam. I didn't tell you this because I wanted you to have it out with Sam. I told you because I know you are friends with Aly and I thought you'd want to know. I should go. I'll talk to you later." With that, he headed out the door again.

A few minutes later, Nikolas got into the car and headed out Fox Hollow to see Aly. He was looking forward to visiting with her, not that he needed an excuse, but he wanted to show his support after everything she went through, and especially with what Lucky had told him.

Aly was going over patient files at her desk when Carter came in, "Mr. Cassadine to see you," he announced.

"Thank you, Carter, send him in please," she said.

"Nikolas, hi, how are you doing?" she said as he entered the room.

Nikolas walked over and gave her a hug. "I'm doing well. How are you? You are looking better than the last time I saw you," he smiled at his friend.

"Thanks to you, I am. I don't know where I would be right now if you hadn't found me. I will always be grateful to you, Prince Cassadine," she winked and smiled back at him.

He laughed. They sat down on the sofa. "Honestly, Aly, how are you doing? You have been through so much with the accident."

"I'm doing fine, Nikolas. Been going to physical therapy. They are kicking my butt," she laughed, "but I know it is worth it. I can't wait to get back to work and feel challenged again."

Nikolas looked at her and took her hand. "Aly, Lucky came to see me. He told me what happened between Logan and Sam. I can't believe she did something like this to you."

She pulled her hand away from his and looked at him. "I don't want to talk about it. I'm not comfortable talking with you because Sam is your cousin," she snapped at him.

"Aly, we are friends and have always been honest with each other since the day we met. You can talk to me about anything. I'm here for you, just like you've been here for me. If there is something I can do for you, all you need to do is ask."

She got up and poured herself a glass of water. She couldn't let on that she was upset, but she didn't feel that it was right to talk about what happened with Sam and Logan with him. After all, Sam was part of his family. She wondered if he was going to take Sam's side.

Nikolas looked at her. 'Where was his sweet friend, where did she go? Who is this new person? This isn't my friend,' he wondered.

Spinelli had overheard the conversation. He didn't understand why she is acting like everything is ok. There was no reason for his Noble Sister to snap at the Princely One. He cares about her and wants to make sure she is fine. Spinelli listens for another minute and then waits for Nikolas to leave.

She turned back to him and forced a smile. "Nikolas, I hate to do this but I need to cut our visit short. I have to get back to reading my consultation files that Robin and Patrick need. I promise to call you soon."

"I hope so, Aly," he said. He gave her a hug and he left. After Nikolas' departure, Spinelli entered the room.

"Noble Sister, I ponder something. What is going on," as he watched her take another pain pill with her water.

"What are you talking about?" she snapped at him. "Everything is fine, I'm getting stronger each day, and before you know it, I'll be back to work at the hospital."

"No, there is something going on with you. You haven't been yourself since the accident. People come by to see you and you put on quite a show, but I see you every day, and I know there is something not right," he said.

Aly turned away from him. She was not up for this conversation. She wasn't ready to deal with it. All she wanted to do was ignore it, and maybe it would go away.

"Aly, it's okay to be upset about what happened. Maybe if you talked about it, you'd feel better," he offered.

"No, it's not okay to be upset. I don't want to be upset. I don't want to be sad or angry. I don't to be helpless, and I don't want to be stuck in this house anymore. I'll tell you what else; I don't want to be having this conversation any more either. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have patient files to look over," she ranted.

She sat down at her desk and started looking over the files, ignoring the fact that Spinelli was still there. Finally he left, but waited in the hallway for a few moments. He saw her take another pill. It was time he did something to help her.

A few hours had passed when the doorbell rang. Aly happened to be in entryway and answered the door herself.

"Lulu, hi. What brings you all the way out here?" she politely asked.

"I came by to see Spinelli, is he around?" she asked as she looked around the huge estate.

"You just missed him. I'll be sure to let him know you stopped by."

"Actually I came to see you too," she said.

Aly opened the door and invited her in. She wasn't close to Lulu but she appreciated it that Lulu had come all the way to the outside of town to see her and Spinelli.

"If you are here to give me the 'I told you so' speech, you don't need to waste your time," Aly informed her.

"How are you doing?" Lulu asked, ignoring Aly's previous statement.

"I'm great…..nothing like being the village idiot, I think everyone in Port Charles knows what happened," she said sarcastically.

"It may be hard to believe but Logan changed after he met you. I think he really was in love with you," Lulu said.

"Apparently he wasn't too in love with me or he wouldn't have slept with Sam," Aly said as she walked to the window and stared out to the gardens.

"Look, I didn't come here to upset you. I really wanted to tell you that I think it is wonderful that you discovered your relation to Spinelli. He needs someone like you in his life. He's very lucky, and truthfully, so are you. I know how loyal he can be as a friend, I can't imagine how loyal he will be as a brother," she stood there waiting for a response from Aly. Aly just stood there, staring out the window.

"Well I should get going. Take care Aly," she said and left. A tear trickled down Aly's face.

As promised, Nikolas called Lucky on his way back to Wyndemere. "Lucky…"

"Nikolas, how did you make out with your visit to Aly?"

"She was the same old Aly until I mentioned Sam and Logan, then she said she didn't feel comfortable talking to me about it since Sam is family. She shut down and didn't want to say anything else. I tried to talk with her for a few more minutes, but didn't get much more out of her so I left."

"Thanks for checking in, and letting me know. It sounds like she's taking it pretty hard. I'm glad she has good friends to help her through it. I should go. I'll talk to you later on," and Lucky hung up. Nikolas arrived at Wyndemere and went to the playroom to see Spencer. He was with Lesley. He missed his boy, and wanted to spend some time with him. He deserved that.

Spinelli sat at Kelly's at his usual table with his computer up and running. He was busy working on a project for Jason and Sonny but was having a hard time focusing on it. He started researching addictions. He was afraid his sister had a serious problem. He needed to know what to look for. He was deep into his research when his phone rang. It was Jason asking him to meet him at Sonny's office to go over some things.

Within a few minutes, Spinelli walked into Sonny's office, ready to get to work with Stone Cold. While they started to work, Jason noticed that Spinelli was distracted.

"Spinelli? Can you focus please? I need to know what you've found out about this account," Jason demanded.

"Yeah, uh, the Jackal has found all the details that you asked for," Spinelli muttered.

"What about the numbers that I asked you for?" Jason asked.

Spinelli was thinking about Aly. He didn't want to accuse her of something that wasn't happening, but he didn't want to let it go and have something bad happen.

"Spinelli? Spinelli? Spinelli!" Jason yelled.

"My apologies, Stone Cold, my mind is elsewhere," he said.

"What's going on with you?"

"I'm just worried about my Noble Sister. She's not really been herself since the accident," he told him.

"What do you mean?" Jason asked.

"I mean, she's not her usual cheery self. Normally she is happy and vibrant. But now, it's like she is depressed or something, but she won't admit it. She is also still on her pain meds and that greatly concerns me."

Jason was concerned too. He hadn't been to see Aly since she was released from the hospital. He'd been busy with work, and Elizabeth and the boys had finally moved in with him. Aly had a special place in his heart though. Like Emily, Aly was someone who made everyone feel warm and fuzzy. She had a way of making people feel important. Jason missed Emily, and while he realized that Aly was not Emily, he was glad to have someone in his life to remind him of the sister he loved so dearly. He decided to go and see Aly himself to see what was going on.

Sonny had something going on the following morning which left Jason free for a couple of hours. He drove out to Fox Hollow to check on Aly.

"Excuse me, Miss Aly, but there is a Jason Morgan here to see you," Carter said.

"Thank you, you can send him in," she politely said.

She got up from her desk and started to pour herself a drink.

"It's a little early in the day to be drinking, don't you think?" he asked as he entered the room.

"I'm out of meds and I'm still in a lot of pain," she said.

"Physically or emotionally?" he asked.

"I was kidding, Jason," she said.

"I don't think you were. Spinelli is worried about you and now I am too. What's going on?"

"Nothing, I'm fine. I wish everyone would stop acting like there is something wrong with me. I had an accident, I survived. I may have metal rods in my body now and physical therapy may be kicking my butt, but I'm fine."

"Really? That's why you are sitting in a completely dark room. That's why you are drinking whiskey in the morning? "

"What do you want me to say, Jason?" she steamed.

"I want you to be honest with yourself, and with me. Something is wrong and if you need help, there are people who love you and want to help you," Jason demanded.

"People who love me? Who the hell is that? Logan? He said the words but he didn't mean them," she blurted.

"I get that you are pissed Aly, you have every right to be. But there is something more going on here," Jason said.

"I don't know what to tell you. Do you really want to hear about how much I was a fool to fall for Logan? Do you really want to hear about how Logan was my first _everything,_ well almost everything? I'm angry with myself, Jason; it makes me want to scream. Is that what you want to hear?" she turned away from him.

"Aly, all I want for you, is for you to get better and for you to get back to doing the job you love," he said and gave her a hug. "You have people here for you, don't forget that," he said. She nodded and he left. As soon as she thought the coast was clear, she slammed down her glass of whiskey and took another pill.

Jason headed back to Kelly's. He figured Spinelli would be there, and they could talk some more about Aly and the conversation that he just had with her. He didn't like the thoughts that were coming into his mind. Something wasn't right, and they needed to work on a game plan of some sort to help her.

Nikolas knew he needed to have a talk with Sam, and knock some sense into her, if that's possible. He had a strange feeling. He thought about his visit with Aly yesterday. She wasn't herself, and he was hoping that she would keep getting better. She wasn't the same amazing, strong woman that he has grown to admire, much like Emily. This was someone else. As he was sitting there, something popped into his mind. He wasn't sure if it was anything but he drifted back to the night at the Metro Court when they first became friends, and talked about their lives. She told him about the darkness and pain she had after her parents' accident. He was hoping this wasn't a replay of the events following it. He needed to go and see her again to be sure, what, if anything was truly wrong.


	9. Intervention and Suspension

**Chapter 9- Intervention and Suspension**

Finally Aly was back to work at General Hospital. She had missed her kids in pediatrics. Each child that came in, she fell in love with. Some say not to get too close to your patients, but Aly couldn't resist the adorable little beings that came in and needed her care.

Aly was a little slower getting around but she didn't mind. The children that were in her care were happy to see her. Those children made Aly realize that she could have ended up a lot worse. It wasn't her injuries that upset her though. It was her broken heart that plagued her the most. Sometimes, a broken heart is just as bad as a terminal illness, the only thing that is left, is time.

Aly's breakup with Logan was hurting her more than even she realized. Fortunately for her, others did realize just how much pain she was in.

Nikolas had to go and find out for himself. That nagging feeling he had about Aly wasn't going away, like he hoped it would after a day or so. He needed to go and talk with her, and see what her reaction will be. 'It's not that I'm afraid of her reaction,' he thought to himself. 'I'm afraid of what it's doing to her mentally. She needs to admit that something is wrong and to get the help she needs.' He wasn't sure how it would go, but he had to try.

After taking care of Spencer and spending a little time with him, Nikolas decided to head out to see Aly. After the few minutes' drive, he pulled up to Fox Hollow, parked the car, got out and rang the front door. His mind was already racing in six different directions as to how he would bring it up, when it took her more than two minutes to open the door.

"Hi there, Nikolas, what are you doing here? Please, come in," Aly said to him. She tried her best to smile and look like all was well in her life, but she knew it wasn't. She had to play this game and say things were okay; otherwise she wouldn't be able to handle the consequences. She would fall apart.

He looked at her, trying to read what was behind the mask and smile that she was forcing. "Morning, Aly. I wanted to stop by and see how you were doing. I've been worried about you."

They sat down on the couch, and started to talk. "I'm really glad to be back at work," she said. "It gives me something to look forward to each day, to get out and see the children, and know that I'm making a difference in their lives. They deserve all the love in the world that we can give them."

"I'm glad to hear that you are enjoying work again. You have the best job in the world, to touch so many people's lives, and they touch yours. Everyone cares about you, Aly, you know that. I only want what's best in the world for you."

He touched her hand and looked into her eyes. He needed to make sure he got his point across in what he had to say to her next. "Aly, I've had this feeling for days, since the last time I came to see you. Something is wrong, and I can't shake it. You aren't the same woman that I met back at the Metro Court when you first came to town. When we sat down and talked, you were so honest with me, about everything that happened in your life, and I realized that you are a very tough and amazing woman. In many ways, you remind me so much of Emily. That meant a lot to me, and the fact that I could be honest with you as well, it made our friendship that much stronger."

She had this look of almost-panic on her face, but he had to keep going to know for sure. "As I was sitting at my desk last night, something occurred to me. I remembered the talk we had about your parents' accident. You didn't want to see anyone and you didn't want to face the world for a year. You were in complete darkness. You seemed so scared to let anyone else into your life, almost afraid they would do something, hurt you in some way, or be taken away from you." He saw her eyes change at that. He hit the target and waited for the reaction he knew he was going to get.

"Nikolas, you have no idea what is going on in my mind," she snapped at him, her eyes wide and getting mad. "After everything I went through, with my parents, and the dark time in my life, I started over here in Port Charles and created a new life. I met Logan and thought I fell in love, and then I found him with Sam, and the accident…" her voice trailed off. "I couldn't keep everything straight. I was afraid things would spiral out of control… I needed help in order to deal with what happened, and do what I've had to do to get back to some sort of normalcy in my life," she yelled at him.

"This isn't the right way to do it. You need help. You're back in the darkness again. You don't go out and enjoy life anymore. All you do is sit here when you aren't working. That isn't healthy either. You have to get help, maybe even talk to someone, Lainey for example. She can help. You can't do this on your own, Aly," he said, trying to calm her down. "You haven't been the same. I want to see my friend back, the one who is both compassionate and caring and who's touched the lives of so many people. I care about you and only want to help," he yelled back at her. He didn't mean to shout, but his voice was getting louder and forceful. All he wanted was to see her get help. He knew she may not admit it, but he needed to make her face it somehow. He couldn't help Emily, but he could help Aly.

"And this coming from a man who could have a simple surgery that would save his life so he can be around for his son's future, but refuses?" Aly snapped back at him.

He looked at her as if he'd been shot. "Aly, you know why I won't, Emily…" Nikolas started to say, and his voice trailed off.

"Well, then you do what you need to do to be happy, and I'll do what I need to do to survive." She took a deep breath, and looked at him, much calmer now. "If you don't mind, I have some things I need to take care of before I head out to work," she said.

"Sure, Aly," he said to her. "And don't worry about showing me out, I know the way." With that, he left the room, but didn't close the door all the way. Only when she thought Nikolas was gone did she take out another pill. Nikolas couldn't believe what he saw. It was time to do something more drastic to help her.

Once Nikolas left Fox Hollow, he had to find the other person that knew Aly as well as he did. That was Spinelli. He drove out to Kelly's and walked in, hoping to find him. Nikolas walked over to Spinelli at his usual table, who was staring into his computer and typing like mad. He sensed someone was standing there, looked up and said, "Hello, Princely One. What can the Jackal do for you?"

Nikolas sat down. He wasn't sure if Spinelli knew about Aly's physical and mental state and figured there was no place to start but to tell him what happened a few days ago, and a little bit earlier today with Aly.

"Spinelli, I came to see you about Aly," Nikolas started.

"What is wrong with my Noble Sister?"

"I don't know how to say this, so I'll just tell you what just happened. I went to see Aly a few days ago, and something didn't seem right. I went back up to Fox Hollow to see her a little while ago. I had to follow up on my instincts. They were dead-on. Something's wrong with her. I'm very concerned and worried about her. She isn't her usual happy self. She hasn't been that way since the accident."

"This just confirms what the Jackal has been noticing and thinking for the last bit of time. My Noble Sister has been acting strange, wanting to be left alone, she doesn't venture out anymore with anyone, not even her own brother."

"One other thing you should know. We had an argument before I left, and she pretty much threw me out of the house. I said to her not to show me out, that I knew the way. I left the room but didn't close the door all the way. I saw her taking some kind of pill. I thought she was finished with them. She's been on them a little too long already," Nikolas said.

"This is most disturbing news of the worst kind. The Jackal witnessed almost the same kind of scene with her the other day. We got into a disagreement, and when I left the room and she thought no one was watching, she downed a pill."

"Just as I thought," Nikolas said. "Something has to be done to help her. Where do we start?"

"Stone Cold. Let's track him down. He would know what to do." Spinelli and Nikolas left Kelly's and headed straight for Jason's penthouse. Elizabeth opened the door.

"Spinelli, Nikolas, what are you both doing here?"

"Is Stone Cold here? It is of the utmost importance that we speak with him," Spinelli said.

"He's upstairs with Jake and Cam. Let me get him. Come in." Liz went upstairs to get Jason, and they both came downstairs within minutes.

"What's going on, Spinelli? And why is Nikolas with you?"

Spinelli explained his concern to Jason and just as he expected, Jason had a plan of action. Nikolas also told Jason and Elizabeth what happened earlier that morning with Aly at Fox Hollow. They all agreed - it was time to plan an intervention.

Jason and Spinelli went to Fox Hollow after Aly left for the hospital. Spinelli and Jason got to work. After doing a sweep of the estate, the two ended up with a plastic bag full of prescription drug bottles, some empty, some not empty. This would be their leverage. The next step would be placing calls to everyone that had any meaning to Aly. A support system would need to be in place for this to be effective. Jason called Carly and Sonny, explained the situation, and asked them to be at the hospital at the appropriate time. Carly thought Jax should be there as well, and Jason agreed.

Nikolas thought it would be important if Lucky came to lend his support. He told his brother about the day's events and the intervention, and since his brother is recovering from being addicted to pain killers, Lucky knows exactly what Aly is going through. Lucky agreed to be there.

Spinelli was making his way back into Kelly's when he ran into Nadine on her lunch break. He told her what was going on with Aly, and she planned on keeping that time available to be there to help and do whatever she could.

Back at the hospital, Elizabeth was able to talk to Monica, Epiphany, Leo, Lainey, Robin and Patrick. She explained all that she knew and they promised they would help with the intervention of one of their own doctors. They knew it had to be done if she was going to get the help she needed.

The next day, with everything in place, Spinelli crossed his fingers and prayed to God. "Please let this work," he whispered, then left for the hospital.

Aly had just finished rounds and was looking over patient files at the Nurse's Station. She started to feel like she was being watched; she looked around and noticed people gathering around her. She didn't pay much attention at first and continued looking over the files. She looked up again to see that Monica, Robin and Patrick were standing in front of her. She looked behind her to see that Nadine, Elizabeth, Epiphany, Lainey and Leo where gathered around her too.

"Aly," Spinelli said.

Aly came from around the Nurse's Station to see Spinelli. He was not alone. Standing behind him was Nikolas, Lucky, Jason, Carly, Sonny, and Jax.

"What is this? Did I miss something? Who's birthday did I forget?" she asked nervously, looking around.

Spinelli, for once in his life, spoke in a language that everyone could follow, "Look around you, Aly. These are all the people in your life that care about you and love you. These are the people that you love and care for as well. We can't stand by and act like nothing is going on any longer. You need help, and we are here to help you."

"What are you talking about? I'm fine, sure I might have hit a rough spot for a bit, but I'm back to work and better than ever," she tried to say as confidently as she could.

"If that is true, how do you explain your behavior? You haven't been yourself since the accident," Nikolas inquired.

"I told you, it was just a rough spot, that's all. I'm much better now that I'm back to work," she said.

"Then what is all of this?" Jason asked as he held up the bag full of prescription bottles.

Aly couldn't speak. She felt as though she had just been hit with a ton of bricks.

Monica approached her, "Aly, you have an addiction and until you get help and can prove that you are no longer using, you are suspended from this hospital. "

A tear fell from her eye. The elevator opened and everyone turned to see who it was. It was the last person on earth that Aly wanted to see at that moment. Logan.

He started to speak, "Aly, I never…" but that was all he got out before Aly physically attacked him.

She knocked him to the ground and started punching and smacking him. She screamed, "I hate you Logan! I hate you! You did this! This is all your fault! I hate you!"

Carly held back tears, clearly upset about Aly's breakdown; she had never seen Aly act like this. Jax held her close. Sonny shook his head in disbelief. The staff stood there in shock.

Jason pulled Aly off of Logan. She tried to fight off Jason, but he held her as close to him as he could. She began crying hysterically, screaming about how much she hated Logan in between the sobs. Her rage had been building for some time, and it had just exploded like a volcano. Robin finally gave her a sedative to get her under control.

In the meantime, Lucky had gotten Logan up off the floor and then up against the wall by his neck.

"How dare you come here! She's right this is all your fault! I should…" Lucky yelled at him.

"Lucky, don't waste your time on him." Nikolas said and pulled Lucky away. "He's not worth your time or energy. Our main focus right now is on Aly. She needs all of our support and love to get through this, and get back to living her life again." Nikolas turned to Logan. "Get out of here before I have security escort you out," he yelled. He didn't want another blackout to occur, so he had to calm himself down before it started. Logan got the message and left.

Everyone was very concerned at what they had just witnessed. Here was a girl that had a lot of good things happening in her life, and it was being clouded by her addiction to the pain killers. Finally she was going to get the help she deserved.

Nikolas, Spinelli, Lucky, and Jason all looked at each other. They knew that Aly was in for the fight of her life to get detoxed and start on another difficult road to recovery. But all four of them would be there for her every step of the way.

Sonny, Carly and Jax swore they would do whatever they could to help her. After all, she was a big part of their family.

In the meantime, Aly was taken to a room and hooked up to monitors for observation for the rest of the night. The next few days would be Hell on Earth for her. Sure she was angry and mad at them for what just happened. But as the afternoon and evening wore on, she started to realize that this was for the best. She had faced the Darkness before when her parents were killed and won. She can do it again. This time, it was different; she had a lot of people who cared about her.


	10. They Tried To Make Me Go To Rehab

Chapter 10 - They Tried to make me go to Rehab 

After being sedated and kept in the hospital overnight, Aly was released into Spinelli's care. She had been given more literature about addictions than she cared to acknowledge. Once she got to Fox Hollow, she started up the stairs towards her bedroom.

"Where are you going? Don't you think we should talk about this?" Spinelli asked.

"I'm going to my room, and no, I don't think we should talk about this, or anything else," she said harshly.

She went to her room, closed the door behind her and locked it. She went to the vanity and stared at her reflection. She didn't recognize the person looking back at her. She began to cry uncontrollably. She frantically searched for some pills. There were none to be found. This made her very angry, so angry that she picked up a vase and threw it across the room. It hit the wall and shattered into a million pieces, much like her heart did when she found Logan with Sam.

Aly spent her first day back home staring out the window. She didn't know how she had gotten to this point. She wasn't sure if she could get through this, even though she knew she had a lot of people willing to help her. She wasn't going to let anyone in to help. She didn't believe she needed it. The only thing she was sure of was that she wanted to be left alone.

Spinelli knocked at the door, "Noble Sister, I bring you a plate of nutrition."

"Go away, Spinelli," she barked.

"You need to eat something," he said solemnly.

"I said, go away!" she screamed.

"As you wish, Noble Sister, but I will leave your dinner at the door," Spinelli told her.

It was a restless night for Aly. She paced, too many things going through her mind. She lay in her bed, tossing and turning. She sat and cried. She continued to stare out the window. She kept wondering, why, why did Logan betray me? Why did I get in the car that night and drive like a maniac? How and why did I survive another accident that I shouldn't have? Why did I turn to those pills? She stopped staring out the window long enough to look around her room. Her eyes fixed on the picture of her and Logan. She just stared at it, and all of the hate and anger once again started to well up inside her. She knew she had to let it out.

"Why,why, WHY!?!?!?!??!" she screamed, throwing the frame across the room. She had no answers. She couldn't see past the darkness, there was no light at the end of the tunnel for her; she didn't want to see past it. She felt that this is where she belonged. She didn't believe she deserved more than this.

The next day was bright and sunny. Aly kept the curtains closed and sat in the dark. Spinelli brought her more food, but she refused to eat. He asked if she wanted to talk, but she refused to let him in.

"Aly, there is an N/A meeting in a half hour, I'd be happy to drive you," Spinelli offered.

"I'm not going," she said through the door.

"You must go, its part of your recovery, Noble Sister" Spinelli said trying to encourage her.

"I said, I'm not going," she retorted.

"But it's imperative that you get the help you need," he babbled.

"I'm NOT GOING!!!" she screamed.

"Aly, I'm just trying to help. I would do anything to help you get better," Spinelli informed her.

"I don't need your help, now leave me alone!" she yelled at him.

Spinelli's heart broke for his sister. He wanted nothing more in the world than for her to get well. Once again, he was going to have to take matters into his own hands.

He continued to bring Aly food and offered to talk with her or take her to a meeting for several days, hoping she would change her mind. Each day, she refused. He hadn't seen her since they had returned from the hospital; it was almost a week now. It was time to do something. His first stop -- Wyndemere, to see if Nikolas could help.

In the study, Nikolas was staring at Emily's picture. As he looked up, there she was once again, as beautiful as ever. "Emily…" he got up, hugged and kissed her. This was all the reality he needed. Nothing else mattered.

"Nikolas, please take care of yourself. Spencer needs you around. You need to be here for him, I can't be. I don't know how long I can be here with you, like this. You can see me because our love is strong, you would never hurt me, and we could conquer anything," Emily said. "Except for death."

"I can't let you go, I won't. I don't want to be without you. I am determined to do anything to keep you here with me. I don't want the surgery," he said, breaking down. He can't do this without her.

"You have to think about the future," she said and held him close. "The tumor is going to get worse. You will get worse, you won't have control, and once that happens, there is no turning back. I'm trying to spare you the pain that lies ahead if you choose not to have the surgery. It will be awful." She would have given anything to be back in the land of the living, with him and the future they had planned. Unfortunately, fate and Diego changed those plans in the blink of an eye. She needed to get through to him somehow. He needed to live – she needed to show him that, too.

She let him go and looked at him. "What about Aly? What's going on with her?" She didn't know if he saw Aly that way. But she needed to know that Nikolas had someone who would be here when she stopped appearing to him. Someone has to be here to help him through whatever lies ahead.

Nikolas said, "she reminds me of you. It makes me want to protect her and never let anything bad happen to her. She is so much like you that it hurts. I want to help her in any way I can. I don't see her in the same light as you." They sat down on the couch and held hands. "No one will replace you in my heart. I'm hurting and missing you, but at the same time, I can still be here with you like this. To me, this is real. I don't want to be here without you. There is no option, I will not get rid of the tumor -- it will make you disappear forever."

"Nikolas, you have such a wonderful heart. You got it from your mother. Aly is very lucky to have you as a friend. If she needs you, be there for her. But you need to figure out what to do for the future. I can't stay forever. You need to think about Spencer and your family. They love you and need you to be around…" she started to say.

Their conversation was interrupted when there was a knock at the door. Emily disappeared. Once again, Nikolas was all alone.

The door opened. "Mr. Cassadine, Mr. Spinelli to see you," Alfred said as he entered the room.

"Please show him in. Thank you, Alfred," Nikolas answered.

"Princely One, my Noble Sister is in need of your help."

"What can I do to help her?" he asked.

"She's been locked up in her room for almost a week, not eating, just staying there alone in the dark. I am trying to reach out to her but to no avail. Maybe you can impart some of your wisdom to get through to her."

"Thank you, Spinelli. I'm glad you let me know. I'll go and see what I can do. I need to tell her about my experience with Lucky during the low point in his life with the addiction. I hope that will help her, and how he has turned his life around."

"I look forward to hearing your report after meeting with my sister. Thank you," Spinelli said. With that, he turned and left the study, and Wyndemere. He was hoping this was the only stop to get her out of that darkness that she put herself in. If anyone knew about the darkness, Spinelli knew that it was Nikolas. He could help.

Nikolas drove over to Fox Hollow. He had to get through to Aly. He couldn't let her wallow in the darkness. It wasn't going to help; it would only make it worse. He knew first-hand how awful being alone in the dark really was. He wanted to spare her that pain again, and couldn't see her reliving the darkness she experienced when her parents died. No one should go through that once in their lives, let alone twice. He wanted to tell her about his experience with Lucky, and what Lucky went through with his addiction, and how the meetings were helping him.

He pulled up to the house. Carter answered the door and told him that Aly was upstairs in her room. She didn't want to be disturbed. He told Carter not to worry, he wouldn't stay long, but he needed to check on Aly anyway. Carter headed back to the living quarters.

Nikolas headed upstairs towards her room and knocked at the door. "Aly? It's Nikolas. How are you doing, my friend?"

"Go away. I don't want to talk to anyone. I don't need anyone's help, I'm doing ok," she managed to get out, not much more than a whisper. She was trying to hold her voice steady. It took all the strength she had to do it.

"I'm here because I'm worried about you. I don't want to see you drowning yourself in the darkness, unable to find your way out. This isn't Aly, the strong-willed woman I know, the one I've grown to cherish. Right now, you are scared because you have to take a step and try to live one day at a time without something you want so badly. It won't be easy, but I will be here for you, every step of the way. I care about you," Nikolas said. He was trying to get to her.

"The strong-willed woman you know is gone. I don't know if or when I'll be that woman again. It's hard to do without something that you want so badly." She took a breath and was getting mad. "I care about you too," she started to yell at him; "I want those pills as much as you want Emily back. I understand that, Nikolas. It's hard on both of us. You need the surgery to go on with your life and live for your son. I don't see you rushing to get the surgery because you don't want to lose what you have left of Emily. Does this sound familiar? I'M NOT READY YET!!" she lashed out at him.

At that, Nikolas felt like Diego killed Emily all over again. He was hurting and he wanted it all to go away. He wanted to be back at Wyndemere with Emily. But all he could say to Aly was, "I'm leaving. I'll be back in a day or two to check on you."

Once he left, Aly stared out the window again, with tears streaming down her face. She didn't like people telling her what to do, even if it was one of her closest friends. She needed to do what she thought was right for herself. This was what she had to do right now.

Once outside, Nikolas got back into his car. He sat and thought for a minute; he wasn't sure if a blackout was coming on so he needed to stay put. 'Not now,' he willed the blackout to stop. 'I need to find Spinelli and get back home.' He was feeling better and started the car. He headed over to Kelly's, where he knew Spinelli would be. He relayed what happened and told Spinelli that Aly threw him out before he could tell her about Lucky and the meetings.

When Spinelli's attempt to have Nikolas intervene didn't work, he had one last option. Jason had a way with Aly like no one else. Their relationship was hard to describe. Because Aly was close to Elizabeth and she had helped Jason and Elizabeth find their way to be together, he felt indebted to her. But, there was more to it than that. She was now the closest thing he had to a sister since Emily was gone.

Jason went to Fox Hollow. He told Carter that he needed to see Aly, and he wasn't taking no for an answer. Carter got out of his way, as Jason went upstairs to her bedroom.

"Aly, open up," Jason demanded as he knocked on the door. He knew he was going to have to play hardball with her.

"Go away, Jason. I want to be alone," she said.

"That's what I hear, that you've been locked up alone in there for days. Let me in, let's talk," he calmly said.

She still refused. Then she heard the sound of the lock. She had enough light to stare at Jason as he entered the dark room.

"How'd you get in here? Get out! I don't want to talk about anything, I just want to be alone!" she yelled at him.

"I'm not going anywhere. You are going to talk to me whether you like it or not. You have a lot of people who love you and want to help you," he told her. He wasn't about to get into a shouting match with her. He needed to be calm and rational, and the one in control. He was holding all the cards now. He wasn't going to let her give up.

"I don't want their help. I don't need help. I'm fine."

"You aren't fine. You are far from fine," he answered her as he crossed the room. "Spinelli told me you haven't eaten in days. I see you've been dealing with your anger, that's good," he said as he picked up a piece of the broken vase.

She said nothing, but gave Jason a glare.

"Aly, I'm not going to let you do this to yourself. You are too good of a person to let it all go to hell. You have something to fight for. If you don't get your act together, I will personally take you to a rehab facility," he warned her.

"Are you threatening me?" she snapped at him, but a bit calmer than before.

"No, I'm promising you. I promise you, Aly; I will take you to a facility, whether it's Shadybrook or somewhere else, if you continue to refuse help. You will start going to meetings, eating and not keeping yourself locked up in this room. If you do that, you won't have anything to worry about."

She realized he meant every single word. He was right. She couldn't fight back the tears any longer. Jason hugged her, and she just let him. It was time to let go, feel again, and try to get past this and get back to her life.

Finally she pulled herself together, "I'm so embarrassed Jason," she admitted.

"Aly, you have no reason to feel embarrassed, especially in front of me. You are a sister to me, and that's what brothers and sisters do, we share the good times and the bad times. We are there for each other, and that's the way it will always be," he said sweetly to her. She would always be a constant reminder of the sister he lost and would always love. He knew he needed to do all he could for Aly.

"After everything I just put you through, yelling and pitching a fit, you are still here for me. I'm so lucky to have a friend like you."

"It's not just me. Spinelli, Nikolas, we all care about you and want to see the old Aly back. We love her and miss her."

"Now I'm a mess," she was crying and laughing at the same time. She smiled her big smile and looked up at him. He was smiling back at her.

He hugged her again to let her know that everything was going to be all right. "Let me take you to a meeting, there's one in an hour," he offered.

"Ok. Let me do something with myself. I don't want to go like this. I'll be down in a few minutes," she said.

He left and went downstairs to talk with Spinelli.

"Stone Cold, how is my sister?"

"I got through to her. She is getting ready to go to the N/A meeting at the hospital shortly. I wasn't about to give in to her. If she wasn't going to give in, I was going to bring her to a rehab facility if I had to. It was at that point, she finally gave up."

"Many gratitudes to you," Spinelli said. "I am grateful that someone was able to reach her. I couldn't do so and even asked the Princely One to try, but she also threw him out."

"I want to see her better, just like you and Nikolas. She means a lot to all of us. We want to make sure she knows just how important she is to us."

"Yes, absolutely," he said.

While Jason and Spinelli talked downstairs, Aly sat down at her vanity. She took a deep breath before trying to make herself look presentable. She wiped away the streaks of mascara on her face that her tears had left behind. If only it were that easy to wipe away all the hurt she felt inside. She applied some makeup and looked at herself in the mirror. She saw a faint spark of the old Aly. It will take time, but she will come back, she thought. Finally, she was ready to come down and face the world again.

Spinelli looked at Aly as she came down the stairs. She looked pretty, and even put some makeup on. "You look beautiful, my sister. It is good to see you out again."

"Thank you, Spinelli," she walked over and hugged him. "I'm going to the hospital for the N/A meeting with Jason. I'll see you later."

Jason took her to the hospital for the N/A meeting. She wasn't sure what to expect but she was hoping it would be ok. "Don't worry about picking me up, I'll call my brother," she told him. He nodded and gave her a hug.

"Thank you," she whispered.

He walked her to the door and wished her well. She entered the room and found a seat. She looked around to see if there was anyone she knew. All she saw were people who seemed to be perfectly normal. That made her feel at ease. Maybe Jason was right, she didn't need to be embarrassed. Bad things happen to good people. Her embarrassment came back to hit her like a ton of bricks when she saw Lucky walk into the room. He spotted her in a flash and smiled at her.

"Aly, it's so good to see you. I've been expecting to see you here for a few days now," Lucky said as he sat down next to her. Aly was suddenly overwhelmed with embarrassment and nervousness. She didn't know Lucky very well but there was something about him that she was attracted to. She was trying not to show it.

"I didn't expect to see you," she said.

"Really? I figured Nikolas would have told you," he said.

"I…I remember him saying something about Maxie, you and drugs, but I guess I didn't put it all together. It didn't occur to me that you'd be at a meeting," she said nervously.

Before he could say anything, the meeting got underway.

There were a lot of people who got up and told their stories. With each new story, Aly grew more interested in their experiences. By the time the meeting was over, she felt more relaxed than she had in days….well, as relaxed as she could be with Lucky still sitting next to her, she smiled to herself. She realized that she had to come to the next meeting, as long as she needed to, to get better. With the help and support of her family, friends and this group of people, she started to believe she could see that there was a light at the end of the tunnel.

As soon as the meeting ended, Lucky turned to Aly. He was proud of her for taking the first step and coming to the meeting. He knew how hard it must have been for her. But he also knew there was something about her that pulled him towards her, to find out more about her.

"Aly, I am proud of you. This is a big step. You are a strong woman, I know it and have seen it, and in time, you will see it again, too."

"It was tough for me but someone pushed me so hard that I couldn't push back, and I finally got here. But back to your question before the meeting… no, Nikolas didn't tell me that you were coming to these meetings…" she trailed off. Then she realized why Nikolas hadn't told her – she threw him out of Fox Hollow before he could. She felt awful. She knew she had to make it up to him, and to Spinelli. She hadn't been very nice to them.

"Would you care to join me for a cup of coffee at Kelly's? We can sit and talk for a while if you'd like," Lucky asked her.

"Hmm, you know, I think I've had enough social interaction for one day, I'm still not really feeling like myself. Can I take a rain check?" she wanted to go but if she was going to really get to know Lucky, she wanted to me more upbeat and today was not the day.

"I understand completely. A rain check it is then. See you soon," he said and gave her a big smile. That smile alone was enough to make her heart skip a beat. 'I can't believe Jason tried to make me go to rehab, I have all the rehab I need,' she thought.

She started to dial Spinelli but decided to take a cab instead. She thought to herself, 'if I get to see Lucky every week, the meetings will be worth my time,' she smiled at herself. For the first time in a long time, she felt like she had something to look forward to.


	11. Coffe Anyone?

**Chapter 11 - Coffee Anyone?**

After attending her first meeting, Aly was feeling better, not great, but she wasn't keeping herself shut up in her room any longer. There was an awkwardness lingering at Fox Hollow. Spinelli went about his business, acting like nothing had been happening. Aly regretted the way she had treated him. She had barely spoken to him in recent weeks. She was hardly acting like a sister; she was acting more like a brat.

"Spinelli, I owe you an apology," she said softly as they sat at the breakfast table.

"For what?" he asked, puzzled that she was even speaking to him. He held no grudges but was still upset.

"I've been awful. It's been what? Two months, almost 3 since we found out that we are siblings, and I've done nothing but be a pain in your side. I've been horrible to you. Whether you are my brother or not, you didn't deserve to be treated the way you have been. All you have done is be a perfectly wonderful brother, and friend. I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you."

"You haven't been yourself; I just wanted to help you."

"I know that, now. I was wrong, I've been so wrong lately. I don't want you to feel like I don't appreciate what you've done for me. You are my brother, my only family, and I love you, Spin, I just… I want you to know that."

"I love you too," he said with a smile, "Now, can we get back to being the way we were before?"

"There is nothing else I want more," she said with a smile.

"Is the Jackal crazy, or have I heard music coming from your room every night this week?" he asked.

"You heard that?" she asked.

He shook his head. "I was unaware of the music playing device in your room."

"That's because there isn't one," she grinned.

He was puzzled.

"Spinelli, it was me," she said.

"You? But I heard a violin," he said, still confused.

"Yes, you did. I play the violin. I've played for years," she said proudly. She hadn't played for a very long time. After her parent's death, she had put her violin in the closet.

"I had no idea," he said.

"There are a lot of things that you don't know about me, not yet anyway," she patted him on the shoulder, smiled and went to her room.

She felt better that she told her brother how she really felt. He had been there for her and she was incredibly lucky to have him in her life.

A week had passed since the last meeting. Aly hadn't spoken to anyone but Spinelli. She wasn't quite ready for it yet. She knew in time she would be and that she'd have to talk to Nikolas, and apologize for treating him so horribly. He was acting in her best interest because he cared about her, and she had dismissed him rudely. That wasn't like her. She cared about him, too, and she had to let him know. She was ready for her next meeting. This week she was able to drive herself. She hoped that Lucky would be there again.

Sure enough, there he was, sitting down, an empty seat on either side of him. He motioned to her to sit next to him.

"Good to see you again, Aly," he said.

"You as well, thank you," she said as she sat down next to him.

The meeting this week really hit home with Aly. She was more in-tune to what was being said. They went over each of the 12 steps very carefully. Until now, she hadn't really realized how her addiction not only affected her, but those around her as well. She started thinking about how to help herself. One thing she needed to do was in step eight -- list people you hurt and make amends. She decided she would make her list once she got home. It was time.

At the end of the meeting, she hoped Lucky would invite her out for coffee again. She waited.

"Well, Aly, how are you feeling about things?" he asked.

"Better. I'm getting there, I suppose," she said shyly.

"Good, glad to hear it," he grabbed his jacket, "I'll see you next week?" he asked.

"Sure. I, uh, I was hoping to cash in that rain check if you aren't doing anything?"

"Yeah, I'd like that. Is Kelly's okay?" he asked.

"Sounds perfect," she smiled. She was all giddy.

Within a few minutes, they left the hospital. They went over to Kelly's to start what would be the first of many cups of coffee after their meetings.

"So, Nikolas was pretty vague when he told me about your addiction. How was Maxie involved again?" she boldly asked.

He wasn't surprised she asked. He was wondering when she was going to do that. "I had an accident where I hurt my back. I knew Maxie had a way to get me pain killers, and in return, I slept with her. It wasn't one of my finer moments."

"Maxie has a way of getting to people, doesn't she?" she asked.

"Yeah, you could say that," he said.

"I had her pegged the first time I met her. It's sad really. She's just lonely."

"She is. So much so that you could figure it out the first time you met her?"

"I read people well," she said with a smile.

"Really? Then how do you read me?"

"You? You are someone who has had his heart broken once or twice but refuses to give up on love. You would do anything for your family, and you will be an excellent father some day when you have your own children."

He smiled.

"You're a good guy, Detective Spencer."

"Thanks, I really appreciate that," he said, blushing a little.

"I just call it like I see it," she flirted.

They each took a sip of their coffee. She thought for a minute and then spoke.

"So, let me get this straight. You developed an addiction, and you slept with Maxie. Elizabeth found out and slept with Jason. You started seeing Sam but not before your divorce was final. You and Sam broke up because you found out about some of her lies, but then you gave her a second chance, only for her to ruin it by sleeping with Logan after you had a fight about more lies?" She was trying to understand him completely, so she had to get his story straight.

"Yeah, that sounds about right. You know what they say, what goes around comes around."

"And I thought I had it rough," Aly sighed.

"That's why I still go to meetings. It helps. The one thing you have to learn is not feel sorry for yourself."

"Easier said than done," Aly said softly.

"Aly, you have a lot going for you. Elizabeth tells me you are one of the best doctors that General Hospital has ever had. It takes a special person to do what you do, dealing with sick kids and their families. You are obviously a very caring and compassionate person. Just keep that in mind and things will get easier for you."

Aly looked at her watch. It had gotten late.

"Wow, I really should get home," she said.

"Sure….I'm really glad we did this. Maybe we can do it again?"

"I'd really like that. I'll see you soon?" she asked.

"I hope so," he said with a smile.

After she left, Lucky started wondering about Aly, and he wasn't sure why. 'She and Nikolas are close,' he thought, 'ever since the day they met. Maybe there's something more between her and my brother. She could be good for Nikolas, and Nikolas could be good for her. I have to talk to Nikolas first.' He was starting to care about Aly, more than just friends. If Nikolas was interested in her, he needed to know before he started feeling something more for Aly. He decided, 'nothing like the present time.' He got in his car and took off for Wyndemere.

Aly made her way back to Fox Hollow and up to her room. She needed to focus on step number eight in the N/A pattern, making her list of those she needed to make amends with. She pulled out a piece of paper and started her list. She wrote – 1. Nikolas; 2. Jason; 3. Logan. She stared at the list. 'This is a start,' she said and looked out the window. She realized that she was incredibly lucky to be alive, after everything she had been through.

Nikolas was up in the playroom with Spencer. Lesley was out, so he was taking the time to spend it with Spencer and spoil him. He wasn't sure how much longer he was going to be around and wanted to be with him when he could. All he knew was that he wasn't going to have the surgery. He couldn't live his life without Emily. She was so much a part of him; he saw her in everything and everywhere he went. He knew that Spencer was too young to know what was happening, and he was almost thankful that his son would never know. Spencer had enough people around to take care of him.

Lucky knocked on the playroom door. "Hey, Nikolas."

"Hi, Lucky, come on in. Join us boys at playtime," he laughed with Spencer. Lucky sat down with them, and Nikolas looked at his brother. "What's on your mind?"

"I had to come and talk to you, and also thank you."

Nikolas was a little confused. "What do you mean?"

"I needed to thank you for trying to talk some sense into Aly and trying to get her to come to the N/A meetings. I saw her there the first day, and we have been talking ever since. She is a great girl…she's had it really rough."

"Yes, she has. She is an amazing woman. We are lucky to have a friend like her in our lives."

Lucky thought for a minute and played with Spencer. 'How should I bring this up,' he wondered. 'No easy way to do it, just jump right in.'

"You got quiet again. So, what's with you? Out with it," Nikolas said. He wasn't normally pushy with Lucky, but something was going on with him, and he knew Lucky was stalling.

"I have to ask you about Aly," he started. "There's no easy way to do it, so I'll just come right out with it. How do you feel about her? Do you like her?"

Nikolas looked at his brother. He was still so much in love with Emily, so the question came as a surprise to him. "Of course, I like her, Lucky," he started. "She has been an incredible friend to me. She's warm, honest, caring, and reminds me of Emily in any number of ways," he stopped and looked at Lucky. "Aly has a lot of the same characteristics as Emily did, which I could see why you'd think there is something more. She's not Emily. Emily was the only one for me. You loved Emily too but as friend. That's how I feel about Aly."

"Nikolas, I know. This has been a nightmare for you. Just remember you have all of us to lean on. We'll be here for you."

"Why did you ask about Aly?"

"I started thinking today, you and Aly have a special relationship of some kind, and I wasn't sure what it was. I needed to know if you were interested in her. I'm beginning to care about her more than a friend, and I wanted to talk to you about it, since you know her pretty well."

"Lucky, you would be good for her. She needs someone strong and dependable in her life. Someone that will be there for her, no matter what. And quite honestly," he got up with Spencer, and so did Lucky, "you deserve someone like her, too. She will be good for you."

Nikolas put Spencer down for a nap, and they left the room and went downstairs towards the front door.

"Thanks. I sure hope so," Lucky said. "I've got to head back into town. I'll talk to you later on."

"Talk to you soon," Nikolas said and closed the front door. He sat down at his desk and began thinking. He hadn't heard from Aly since the day he went to Fox Hollow to get her out of her room, and then she threw him out. It was good to hear that she was in the land of the living again. He was hoping to run into his friend soon. He missed her, missed talking to her. He started doing some other things until it was time for Spencer to get up again.

Lucky headed back to town. Now he knew Nikolas didn't see Aly that way, even though they were close. It was time for Lucky to start finding out more about the real Aly.

Another week had passed. Aly found herself sitting at Kelly's with Lucky once again. Just as she had the previous 3 weeks. Each week they talked, mostly about Sam and Logan. It may have been a little redundant, but it was helping.

"I just can't seem to get past it all. I thought I knew Logan so well," Aly said in disbelief.

Lucky pondered for a moment. "That's it. You think you misread him," he finally said.

"Maybe I did. But what are you saying?" she asked. She was confused.

"Well, as much as I don't like the guy for what he did to you and to Lulu, I think when he met you, he changed. I think he became the guy that you thought he was."

"Funny, Lulu said the same thing," Aly said.

"I think that is your biggest problem. You are doubting yourself. You feel like you were wrong about him, but you weren't. You need to stop beating yourself up, what happened wasn't your fault. Logan is the one who screwed up, he's the only one to blame."

"I guess. Maybe you are right. I have always felt like I could read people really well," she admitted.

"And you do, but that doesn't mean that people won't disappoint you."

"Like you and Elizabeth. You both loved each other, and thought you knew each other really well, but you both disappointed one another." Aly was trying to make sense of things.

"Yes. We do know each other really well. People screw up and make mistakes. "

"But, you and Elizabeth, you were able to forgive each other?" She questioned.

"We were. It took some time, but we are finally in a good place. I had a lot of growing up to do. I think Logan is in the same position. "

"So maybe I should forgive him?" She gave him a questioning look.

"Well, that's totally up to you. I will say that with Elizabeth and me it was a little different with our situation. There is a lot of history between us. "

Aly looked to the floor. She wanted to have history with someone like Lucky did with Elizabeth. She wasn't sure if that would ever be possible.

She finally looked back up at Lucky, "I'm a little embarrassed at the fact that you have only seen me at my worst."

"If this is your worst, then your best must be pretty incredible," he smiled.

"You know what I mean,"she said sadly.

"You've seen me at mine too. The Black and White Ball when I found out Jake wasn't mine, that was not a good scene," he reminded her.

"Well, I understood you, though. Don't get me wrong, I love Elizabeth, and Jason too, but I didn't agree with how they handled that particular situation."

"It's in the past now. As much as I don't like Jason, I have no doubt that he loves Jake or Elizabeth. Sure, I worry, because a part of me still loves them both, but I know he'll do whatever it takes to keep Elizabeth and both of the boys safe."

"Good. You shouldn't have any doubts. Jason may not have the most respectable job, but he's a good guy, whether you want to believe it or not," Aly said.

"What I want to believe is that you and I have seen the last of the worst of ourselves."

"I want to believe that too. It's just hard. I, I put myself out there for the first time in my entire life, I took a chance, and it blew up in my face. I'm a little skeptical about doing that ever again."

"But Aly, that's what life is about. Taking chances. Because if you don't, you'll never know what might happen." His eyes sparkled. He hoped that eventually Aly would take another chance, on him.


	12. Wish You Were

**Chapter 12 - Wish You Were**

Aly had been going to meetings for several weeks. She had not seen Nikolas for quite some time. She missed him and the conversations they used to have. But, she understood why he hadn't come to see her. She had been horrible to him. 'If I were him, I'd leave me alone too,' she thought to herself. It was time that she went and saw him herself. She needed to be a friend to him again. She knew that he was only trying to help her, and she pushed him away. She won't ever do that to him again.

She drove over to Wyndemere with all these thoughts going through her head. She had been feeling guilty since she threw him out. She felt like a part of her was missing, and she hated that feeling. That wasn't her, the way she acted that day, and she hoped he knew that and hadn't given up on her or their friendship.

She arrived and rang the doorbell. Alfred opened it and greeted her with a smile. "Welcome, Miss Russell. It's so good to see you again."

"Thanks, Alfred. Is Nikolas at home?" she asked and flashed her smile.

"Yes he is. I believe he's upstairs. If you would like to wait in there, I'll get him for you," as they walked towards the study, and he opened the door for her.

"Thank you again. It's good to see you, too." She went in and sat down on the couch.

Once upstairs, Alfred knocked on Nikolas' door. "Mr. Cassadine, Ms. Russell is here to see you. She's in the study."

Nikolas answered back, "Thank you, Alfred. I'll be down in a minute." He had missed her too. He couldn't wait to see her and see how she was doing. He finished dressing Spencer, walked across the hall to the playroom where Lesley was waiting, and gave him to her. "Spencer, I'll be back up in a little while," he kissed him, left the room, and headed downstairs to see Aly.

While she was waiting, she looked around at the pictures in the study. She had never noticed all the beautiful pictures on display – there was one of Alexis, Molly and Kristina with Nikolas, one of Lulu, Lucky and Nikolas together with their mother, some of Spencer alone, a couple of Nikolas with Spencer, and a lot of Nikolas and Emily. She looked at Nikolas' picture and thought, 'I hope you find it in your heart to forgive me and the awful way I treated you.'

As she looked at the door, it opened and Nikolas walked in. He was happy to see his friend. "Aly, I'm so glad to see you. This is quite a surprise. I didn't expect to see you here." He walked over and gave her a quick hug.

"Hi, Nik. I had to come and see you. Can we sit down and talk?"

"Absolutely. Do you want something to drink?" he asked as they sat down.

"No, but thanks." She looked at him. "I needed to come, talk to you and clear the air."

He looked at her, a bit puzzled. "For what?"

"I have to apologize for the way I treated you the day you came over to help me. I was rude, obnoxious and mean. I hurt you in the worst possible way I could because I was hurting too. I couldn't see past my own pain. I'm sorry for not being the kind of friend you deserve and expect me to be. I hated the way I acted that day, and for not getting back in touch with you."

"Aly, I knew you were hurting. Spinelli asked for my help. That's why I came over. I hoped to and will still do anything I can to help you. You are one of my closest friends, and I hated to see you in the state you were in. Being alone in the darkness is never a good thing; you know that as well as I do."

"But that doesn't excuse what I said to you. I am so sorry. It wasn't fair of me to compare my painkiller addiction with you losing Emily. That wasn't right. I twisted it around and used it to hurt you. Now that I've been going to the meetings, I realized I was so wrong. I've felt so guilty about it ever since."

"Apology accepted, Aly. That wasn't you talking, it was your anger and hurt. It makes you do things to hurt even the people closest to you. I've missed talking to you. There are a few things on my mind. I need to talk to you. But before we get to that, I meant to ask you - have you run into Lucky at a meeting?"

She laughed. "Yes I have, the first day. I had no idea that he was going to be there. I was quite surprised."

"I was going to tell you about it that day, to expect to see him there, and maybe that would encourage you to go. Even though I told you what happened between him and Maxie, you probably never put it together."

"You're right, I didn't. It's nice to have the support of the group at the meetings."

"And you have my support, as always."

"Thanks, Nik. What did you want to talk about? Are you still seeing Emily? Tell me what's going on."

"When I walked out of Fox Hollow and out to the car, I felt a blackout coming on. What you said to me, it hurt and brought back all the darkness and the memories of the Ball. I felt as if Emily had died all over again… I was losing someone else that I cared about, and I was powerless to help. I froze up. I sat in the car for a few minutes and it finally went away. The blackouts are coming more frequently now."

She gave him a hug. "Nik, you'll never have to worry about our friendship again. You won't lose me. But you didn't answer my question. Is Emily still appearing to you?"

"Yes, I see her everywhere, in everything I do and everywhere I go. She is so much a part of me that I don't think I can go on without her. She appeared to me earlier that day before I came over to see you. She was pleading with me to have the surgery," he said and looked at her, almost ready to break down any minute.

Aly took his hand. "She only wants what's best for you. She knows that you have plenty of life left to live. You have your family that loves you and wants you around. You also have Spencer. What kind of life would he have if he grew up without his father? Think about that."

"That's what Emily said. She was saying that she can see inside of me, what I can't see. The tumor is going to get worse, and I won't see her in the same way as I do now."

"It could happen. What else did she say?"

"That I'm going to lose all control and there will be madness before death happens. I don't want to have this surgery, no matter what she's told me. I need to keep her here with me as long as possible."

"But, Nik, what happens if you die? How do you know that you'll end up together, or see her in the same way? Anything can happen."

"She said that, too. I was sitting here that morning, thinking about Emily and you came into my mind. You and her are so much alike, you have that same spirit and you touch everyone in your life. So much that I want to protect you and keep you safe for as long as I can…something I couldn't do for her. When you are around, I feel close to her as well."

"It wasn't your fault. How were you supposed to know what was going to happen that night at Wyndemere? That was going to be the happiest day of your lives, and it should have been. I never knew you thought of me much like Emily. She was a special woman."

"Yes she is. You know I'm still so much in love with her, and it kills me that she isn't here with us anymore, and that I want to be with her so badly."

"I know. I've learned something in my N/A meetings. You can't change the past as much as you'd like to or try to keep it close, but you can't. The one thing you can create is your future. I understand more than anyone, how awful it is to lose someone you love so much. But, Nik, you can't stop living your life. That's also hurting the people around you who love you and need you -- your family, Spencer, me. Just think about the possibility of having the surgery, before something awful happens and it's too late. There won't be any turning back at that point. No matter what you decide, I'll be here for you and will stand by you."

"Thank you, Aly. I know you understand. You have been a good friend to me. Oh before I forget, I ran into Lulu the other day, and she asked about you. She wanted to know how you were doing. I said that when I talked to you or saw you, I'd let you know."

"Your sister is so sweet. Kind of makes me wonder how she got involved with Logan, much like myself," she said sadly.

"Don't blame yourself; you didn't know what kind of guy he was. Maybe he changed after he met you, who knows. But don't worry about it now. Just focus on yourself and getting your life back in order," Nikolas said.

"I promise. I should get going. I have a few errands to do. Let's get together really soon and talk again."

"Definitely," he said as they got up and walked out to the front door. "Don't be a stranger. It's good to have you back."

"Talk to you soon." She headed out the door and back to her car. She was glad that she had straightened things out with Nikolas. He was far too important to her to let the silence go on any longer.

Next stop was Jason's penthouse.

She knocked on the door. Elizabeth answered. "Aly, it's so good to see you," she said as she gave her friend a hug.

"It's good to see you too, I've missed you and the boys," Aly told her.

"You look good. Lucky says you've been spending some time together, which I think is great. Lord knows the two of you can relate to one another. I'm glad you two have been able to be there for each other," Elizabeth said.

"It's not weird for you or anything?" Aly asked.

"You mean for you and Lucky being friends?" Liz asked.

Aly nodded.

"No, not at all. As a matter of fact, it wouldn't bother me if you were more than friends."

"Let's not get ahead of ourselves, Liz."

"I'm just saying it doesn't bother me. Not that you would need my permission. Look, all I am saying is that I care about the two of you and I want to see you both happy. If being together, whether only as friends or if it's something more, I'm glad you have each other."

"Thanks," she said nervously. This conversation was making her feel very uncomfortable. "Um, is Jason around? I really have something I need to say to him," Aly asked.

"I think he's at Sonny's office, you could stop by there," she offered.

"Yeah, maybe I will. Listen, Liz. You've been a great friend to me. I just want you to know that you are important to me, and I appreciate you being at the intervention and being supportive."

"Aly, you are important to me too," she said as she gave Aly a hug.

"Kiss the boys for me?"

Elizabeth nodded. Aly left and went straight to Sonny's office. Sure enough, Jason was there.

"Aly. What a nice surprise. How are you doing?" Jason asked.

"I'm doing much better, thank you. I came by because I wanted to thank you," she said.

"For what?" he asked.

"For being my hero," she simply said.

"Aly, I am no hero," he said modestly.

"Yes you are, Jason. You were Emily's hero. You are Liz's hero, and now you are mine too. If it weren't for you, I'd still be locked up in my room feeling sorry for myself."

"I just wanted to help," he said, brushing off her compliments.

"Jason, you did more than help, on a couple occasions. You saved my life. I do have one question though," she said.

"What's that?" he asked.

"Why? Why did you help me?" She was a bit puzzled.

He looked into her eyes. "Because you are my friend, and you've helped me more than you know. You are the reason why Elizabeth and I are living our lives together. You remind me so much of Emily. She had this unbelievably amazing spirit and I see that same spirit in you. I lost her and I shouldn't have. I wasn't about to lose you too. "

His words overwhelmed her. She had no idea that he felt so close to her. She had cared for him like a brother before she knew she really had one.

"Jason, your friendship means the world to me. I just want you to know that. I know you miss Emily, and I wish I could have had the time to get to know her. I'm flattered that you think as much of me as you did your sister, I don't know that I deserve it, but I do appreciate it."

"You deserve it, and someday soon, you'll believe it," he said, giving her a big hug.

"I should go. See you soon," she said. She walked out of the office and straight into Sonny.

"Hey, Aly, slow down a minute." He laughed and gave her a hug. "How are you doing? It's good to see you."

"I'm doing much better now, thanks to Jason. He pulled me out of my self-pity and got me the help I needed. I was hoping to run into you," she said. "I wanted to talk with you."

"Not inside. Jason and I are getting ready for a meeting. Let's sit out here for a few minutes." They went and sat at a table. "What's on your mind?"

"As part of my recovery, I'm learning how to face life and make amends with the people that I've hurt. I feel so ashamed. I haven't been a good role model for Michael and Morgan, and for that, I'm so sorry."

Sonny took her hand and squeezed it. "Aly, things happen for a reason. We don't know what that reason is, maybe we'll never know. You've been nothing but a wonderful role model for the boys. You have no reason to be ashamed. You're a part of our family. We love you, and I'm grateful to Jason that you were able to get the help you need. It takes a strong person to take that first step. I'm proud of you."

"Thank you, Sonny. To hear that makes me feel better. I'm so happy to be alive." She glanced up at the clock. "I've got to run. I promise to go and see the boys soon."

"I'll hold you to it," he said back to her, with that smile of his. He went into his office and got down to business with Jason.

Before she got the car started, she picked up her cell phone and called Carly at home. There was no answer, so she tried the Metro Court. The front desk put her through to Carly's office line.

"This is Carly Jax, may I help you?"

"Hi Carly, it's Aly. How's it going?"

Immediately Carly's voice changed from business to loving friend. "Hi there. It's great to hear your voice. I'm doing well. How are you?"

"Doing much better. Thanks for asking. It's going to be a long tough road ahead of me, but I know I can do it."

"Yes you can. You have so many people around you, a great support network. You know we are here for you and always will be. What's up? What can I do for you?"

"Will you be in your office around dinner time? I'm meeting Spinelli for dinner, but I would like to stop by and talk to you, and possibly Jax before that. Will he be there?"

"I'll be here. I'm not sure about him. Just come to the office when you get here. I'm looking forward to seeing you so much."

"Thanks, Carly. I'll see you in a few hours," and she hung up.

She made her way back to Fox Hollow. Once she was back home, she flopped down on the couch before going to meet her brother for dinner. She pulled out the list from her purse and a pen. She crossed off two names – Nikolas and Jason. She also added Sonny, Carly and Jax, then crossed off Sonny's name. She looked at the paper. She had a few people left to talk to, one person in particular that she needed to speak with, but she wasn't completely sure if she should. She put her list down and closed her eyes. After a short rest, it was time to head out to dinner.

Once at Metro Court, she went over to Carly's office to see her. She knocked on the door and a big smile spread on her face when Jax opened it. "Well, talk about a surprise," Jax said as he picked Aly up and gave her a huge hug. "You have been missed. I'm happy to see you out again." He put her down, then it was Carly's turn to give her a big hug.

"Didn't Carly tell you I was stopping by?"

"No, Aly, I wanted to surprise him. Was that ok?"

"Absolutely. It's great to see you both. I've missed you and the boys so much. How are they?"

"Same as ever. They have been asking about you and can't wait to see you again," Carly said. "You said you had something to talk to us about?"

Carly and Aly sat on the couch and Jax sat in a chair. "I needed to come and apologize to both of you."

"Why, Aly?" Jax asked. "You haven't done anything to us."

"I feel like I have. I haven't been the best role model for Michael and Morgan, and I feel awful about it. I've always prided myself on being someone that both of them can look up to, and here I went and blew it." Even though she has apologized four times now, it doesn't get any easier.

"Aly, you went through a lot. Sometimes bad things happen to good people. Don't ever think you blew it with us and the boys. We love you just the way you are. You are getting the help you need, that's the important thing. We'll always be here for you." Carly gave her a hug again.

"Thank you both. As part of my recovery, I needed to make amends with the people that I've hurt, and that's why I came by. I love you guys, too."

"You will always have our love and support, remember that. You are family. Please stop over during the weekend. The boys would love to take you out for ice cream," Jax said with a smile.

"It's a deal," she said and smiled back at them. "I have to run and meet Spinelli for dinner. See you both over the weekend."

Both of them hugged her again, and she left the office.

She walked through the lobby towards the restaurant. She spotted Lulu at the lobby door. She went over and gave her a hug. "Hey, Lulu."

"Aly, hi. You are looking fantastic. How's it going?" She hugged her back. They walked together towards the front desk and stood there to chat.

"Better now, thanks. Jason played a big part in helping me find my way back to my life."

"I was asking Nikolas about you the other day. I was worried about you, after everything that happened, and I asked him if he heard from you."

"I talked to him this morning at Wyndemere. He mentioned it to me. It means a lot to me to have your support, as well as your brother's."

"Are you going to the meetings? Have you seen Lucky there?" Lulu asked.

"Yes, I've seen him there. I was so surprised to see him walk into the room that day. He's such a good guy."

"He sure is," she said and smiled. She turned to see Johnny walking in the door and walked over to them.

"Aly, good to see you. Glad to see you out and about," he said.

"Good to see you too, Johnny. Thanks. I have a tough road but I'm managing. I've got to run. I'll see you both soon?" she asked.

"Definitely. See you later," Lulu answered.

Aly walked into the restaurant, got a table, and waited for Spinelli to arrive.

During dinner, he could tell that Aly had something on her mind. "What troubles my secretly talented sister?" he asked.

"Oh, it's…it's nothing," she said.

"Really? Because you haven't touched your food," he pointed out.

She paused and thought a moment. "I was considering going to see Logan," she finally said.

"Does the Unworthy One deserve to have you in his presence?" he asked.

"I just feel like I need to talk to him, I need to know what really happened that night," she said.

"You mean you want closure?" he asked.

"Yeah, I just don't feel like I can really move on with my life until I get some questions answered."

"That makes sense. I think that you should do it if it will help you," he said, offering his support. "If you need the Jackal's assistance, all you need to do is ask."

They went back to eating dinner, but her mind was racing. That was it - her mind was made up. Tomorrow, she'd go and see Logan.

The next morning, Aly reluctantly knocked on Logan's door. She hadn't seen him in months. The last time she saw him, she lost all control. She was nervous about how she would feel this time around. He opened the door and her heart sank. She had missed his eyes, they always mesmerized her. They were as beautiful as ever, but no longer had the same effect on her.

"Aly, what are you doing here?" he asked, as he motioned for her to enter his apartment.

"I needed to see you," she said.

"Okay. How are you?" he asked. He couldn't believe that she was there.

"I'm fine. Listen, I came here because I need to know what happened that night."

"Why? It's not going to change anything," he said, sounding defeated.

"No, it's not but I need to know so I can stop blaming myself," she said.

"You blame yourself? Aly, there is no one to blame but me."

"A part of me thinks that maybe I had something to do with it. If I hadn't freaked out and left, if I would have just stayed, maybe this would have never happened," she said, wondering if any of it would have made things different.

"Aly, you can't play the 'what if' game," he told her.

"I just don't understand. How do you go from telling me you love me to sleeping with someone else a few hours later?" she asked, the heartache evident in her voice.

"Aly, we didn't have it planned, it wasn't like that. It just happened. And that's not an excuse, it's just the facts. I went for a walk after you left and I ran into Sam on the docks. She was upset about something that had happened with Lucky. We were just talking, and then it started to rain, so we ran to get out of it and ended up back here. One thing led to another, I was obviously not thinking."

He went on, "There isn't anything I can do or say that's going to make it better. It is what it is. I know you've been hurting, but so have I. Aly, I truly loved you, I still do. I regret what happened, I'm angry with myself for it. All I can do is say I'm sorry, because I am. I truly very sorry," he gave a heartfelt confession.

"I believe you, Logan. I just, I can't forgive you," she said sadly.

"I don't expect you to. I don't even know if I can forgive me," he admitted.

"You know it's just really hard because I saw you become this amazing guy. But I've realized that I was in love with who I wished you were," she showed her frustration.

"I don't know who I am and maybe that's part of the problem," he put his hands on his head, and rubbed his eyes.

"You need to find yourself, Logan. Once you do, you will find love again."

She got up and went to the door to leave. She turned to say something but had no words. She walked over to Logan and kissed him on the cheek.

"Good bye, Logan," she said softly, then turned and left before he could say anything.

After seeing Logan Aly went for a walk in the park to de-stress. She was overwhelmed with emotions. She walked around aimlessly before finding a bench and sitting down to think.

She pulled herself together. She was glad she had gone to see Logan. Now she hoped she could put it all behind her.

"Aly?" a voice asked. She looked up to see who it was.

"Oh, Hi Lucky," she was surprised to see him.

"How are you?"

"I'm good," she tried to act like everything was okay. Lucky sat down next to her.

"Really? You don't seem good. You seem like something is on your mind."

"I'm a bad liar huh?" she said playfully.

"Yeah," he said with a smile, "So what's up?"

She looked to the ground, "I just came from seeing Logan."

Shocked, he asked, "Why?"

She looked him in the eyes, "I needed some questions answered."

"And did you get them?"

"I did and I'm feeling very relieved. I feel like I'm finally free,"

"Free to do what?"

"Free to move on. Free to take chances," she responded cheerfully.

He reached over and held her hand; "I'm glad" he smiled. She smiled back. She was really starting to fall for him.

"I guess this means we won't be needing to meet for coffee anymore?"

She laughed, "Are you kidding me? Meeting you for coffee is the highlight of my week." She was flirting but then got serious, "We just don't need to focus on what Logan and Sam did to us. There is more to the two of us than the two of them."

With that being said she left. She didn't want to throw herself at him. She really felt like they could have something more. The ball was in his court.


	13. So Sick

**Chapter 13- So Sick**

**Author's note: This chapter is a crossover chapter. We connected it to All My Children however the s/l is our own. Enjoy and please review!!!**

Aly was finally starting to feel like herself again. She had been clean for three months, but not completely ready to go back to work. Aly was however, nervous about her last conversation with Lucky. She had hoped that she hadn't been too forward but at the same time hoped he had gotten the message. Her mother had taught her that a lady never chases a man. She didn't want to chase, she didn't feel like she needed to, but she had to put herself out there. It was a chance she was more than willing to take.

She had to put her nervousness aside. She had work to do. The day was shaping up to be a good one, but it was about to get a lot better. At the sound of the door opening, Aly put down the papers she was going over.

"Miss Aly, Lucky Spencer to see you," Carter announced.

"Thank you, please send him in," she was surprised.

"Hi," he said as he walked into the study.

"HI, what brings you by, I wasn't expecting you," she told him.

"I had to see you," he said with a smile. His smile made her weak in the knees.

"You just saw me last night," she flirted.

"I know. I had to see you today though. I've been thinking about what you said last night, about how there is more to us than Sam and Logan."

"Yeah?" She wasn't sure where he was about to go.

"Yeah, and I think you're right," he informed her.

"I am??" she questioned.

"Aly, I know it's probably hard for you to consider starting a new relationship, but I want to find out what this is between us. I can't fight it anymore, I think about you all of the time."

"You do?" She was surprised by his statement.

"We've become really good friends, and I care a lot about you," he said, stepping closer to her.

"I care a lot about you too, Lucky," she said.

"Then let's see where this goes, let me take you to dinner tonight," he said.

"Tonight?"

"Or tomorrow night if you're busy tonight," he offered.

He could tell by the look on her face that tomorrow wasn't an option either.

"Didn't we just agree to start a relationship?" he asked with a laugh. He was getting confused.

"Yes, we did. And I want that, it's just…" she trailed off.

"What is it?" he asked in a very serious tone.

"I'm going out of town for a few weeks," she said, reluctantly.

"Talk about bad timing," he teased, "Where are you going?"

"Pine Valley, Pennsylvania."

"What's in Pine Valley?"

"A special medical case that I've been recommended for," she started to explain.

"So you're working again, that's great, Aly," he said, clearly happy for her.

"Yeah, it's a start. I'm not ready to go back to the scene of my breakdown, so maybe this will help," she said.

"How did this come about?"

"Well, Robin called me and told me about the case and I couldn't refuse. Her cousin, Aiden, lives there and has a friend whose children are very sick and the doctors are unable to diagnose. He called Robin hoping she could help. She called me and asked me if I wanted to take the case and I just knew I had to do it. I've been on the phone all morning with the doctors there and they've faxed me the medical charts so I can review them on the plane."

"I'm really happy for you. You seem really excited about it."

"I am, but I'm sad that our date will have to wait until I get back," she said sadly.

"It'll be worth the wait," he grinned.

"You can always call me while I'm away," she flirted back.

"You better believe I will. When do you leave?"

She looked at her watch. "In a few hours. I haven't even packed yet."

"Well, you had better get to it; I need to get to the station anyway. I'll call you later tonight," he said giving her a hug. "Have a safe trip," he smiled and left.

Aly flopped down onto the couch. She was on cloud nine. She giggled to herself, but she wasn't the only one who heard.

"What brings my sister this laughter?" Spinelli asked.

"You're never going to believe it!" she hopped up to tell him the good news.

"What could be better than the news of your travels to save young lives?" he asked.

"I have a date!"

"A date?" he played dumb.

"Yeah, you know that thing that people do, a guy and a girl, and dinner? You should really try it sometime," she paused, "maybe with Nadine?"

"Maybe my Noble sister shouldn't be so pushy," he retorted.

"I'm sorry, I just want you to be as happy as I am," she smiled.

"Who do I need to thank for bringing you so much happiness?"

"Lucky."

"Lucky, as in the Blonde One's brother, formerly known as The Deceived One?" he asked.

"Yes," she said.

"He is no longer deceived and shall now rightfully be called 'Lucky.'"

"That is his name," she laughed.

"Actually it's Lucas, but Lucky fits," he corrected her.

The two laughed. "I'm so glad to see you smiling and laughing again," he told her.

She patted him on the shoulder and went upstairs to pack. The next few weeks were going to be hectic.

After arriving in Pine Valley and catching a cab, Aly dialed Lucky on her cell phone.

"Hey you," he answered.

"Hi. I just wanted to call and let you know I got here okay," she said shyly.

"Good, I'm glad. But wasn't I supposed to call you?" he teased. She laughed.

"Are you at the hotel?" he asked.

"No, actually I'm in a cab on the way to the hospital."

"Well, don't work too hard," he said.

"Of course not," she responded.

"Talk to you soon," he told her.

She smiled. This was the start of something new, and she was very excited. Before she knew it, she had arrived at Pine Valley Hospital. 'Time to get to work,' she thought to herself.

She entered the hospital and went straight to the help desk.

"Hi, I'm looking for Dr. Joe Martin," she told the receptionist.

"You must be Dr. Russell, he's expecting you. I'll page him and let him know you've arrived."

Aly thanked the receptionist and sat down while she waited. She pulled out the paperwork that he had sent to her earlier in the day and reviewed it once again.

After properly introducing themselves to one another, Dr. Martin took Aly upstairs where the family was waiting.

"Aly, this is Kendall and Zach Slater. Their boys are our patients. Kendall, Zach, this is Dr. Aly Russell," Dr. Martin said as he introduced them.

Kendall was not happy. "Are you even old enough to be out of Med School?"

"Kendall," Zach said, reprimanding his wife.

Aly laughed, "It's okay, I get that a lot. Mrs. Slater, I can assure you, I have the qualifications to be here and help your boys," Aly said calmly. She could tell Kendall was a real piece of work.

"Kendall, I checked all of her credentials, she is qualified. Graduated at the top of her class at Harvard," Dr. Martin informed her.

"What are you? Some kind of genius?" Kendall reacted harshly.

"Actually she is," Aiden said as he came out from nowhere, Greenlee at his side.

"Ah, you must be Robin's cousin. I've heard a lot about you," Aly said as she shook his hand, "You are a good friend to have helped."

He introduced her to Greenlee and thanked her for coming.

Dr. Martin took Aly in to see Spike and Ian. They were so sick and thus far the staff at Pine Valley Hospital had been unable to diagnose the boys.

"I've seen something like this before. I want to run a full battery of tests, and examine the boys myself. Once I've completed a full exam, we'll start our research," she told Dr. Martin.

After a few days of running tests and keeping a close eye on the two boys, Aly spoke with Kendall.

"Are you going to be able to help them?" Kendall asked.

"Mrs. Slater, we are doing everything in our power to help your boys, and I believe we are close to a diagnosis and treatment," Aly stated.

Aly started to walk away when Kendall called out to her, "Dr. Russell?"

"Yes?"

"I am really sorry about the way I've treated you," Kendall admitted.

"It's okay, your boys have been through a lot in their young lives, I understand where you are coming from."

Later that night, Aly was back at the Valley Inn, relaxing after a long day at the hospital when her cell phone rang. The caller id said it was Lucky.

"Hey," she said as she answered.

"Hey you," he said back.

"How is everything back in Port Charles?" she asked.

"Boring without you," he flirted. "How's everything going there?"

"Well, we're getting there. I am hoping to have some answers tomorrow," she said.

They continued talking, laughing and enjoying getting to really know one another.

"Tell me something fun about your childhood," he said.

"What?" she giggled.

"I'm serious, tell me something fun," he said.

"Okay….something fun. Well, wow. My childhood wasn't really that fun. I mean, I had fun with my parents but that's about it," she said.

"Well, tell me that," he insisted.

"Okay. Hmmm…." She was thinking. "Oh, well my parents they hardly ever called me by my name, they always called me 'Love Bug' which is funny to me now."

"Love Bug? Well, that's better than 'Cowboy,'" he said.

"Cowboy? Who calls you that?" Aly asked.

"My father," he said.

She laughed. "It fits."

"It's not funny, Aly," he said.

"Come on, it is funny. It totally fits. I can see you now, strutting around with your gun holster on, acting all manly. And there is nothing more manly than a cowboy," Aly said, teasing him.

They talked a while longer but soon it was time to say goodbye. After the conversation ended, Aly couldn't wait to get back to Port Charles.

Back in Port Charles, Nikolas and Spencer settled in for breakfast. Nikolas enjoyed spending breakfast with him each morning. He looked forward to it. He was amazed to hear Spencer say or do something new each day. After they finished breakfast, Nikolas took him upstairs to spend some time with Bobbie. Lesley wasn't able to come by today, so he asked Bobbie if she would come and watch him. He needed to run out and do a couple of things and didn't want to bring Spencer along. He stopped and thought for a minute. Bobbie married his Uncle Stefan years ago and became his step aunt. Even though their marriage didn't last, he always felt close to her. They had a special relationship. He brought his mind back to the present. His first order of business was to go and see Sam. He hadn't gotten around to talking to her about what happened with Logan the night Aly had her accident and he found her. Even though it was months ago, he needed to talk to his cousin and maybe knock some sense into her. He knocked on her door. "Just a minute," she yelled out as she came to the door and opened it. "Hey, Nikolas. Come on in. What brings you by?" Sam asked. Her mood wasn't the best, he noticed right away. 

They sat down. "I've been meaning to come and talk to you about what happened between you and Logan. See if there is any way I can help you. What happened?" he asked.

She looked at him and said, with an attitude, "If you came here to lecture me about my actions, don't bother. Alexis did a good job on that. My mother always has a way to make me feel guilty."

"Sam, this time she's right. You need to take responsibility for your actions. But I'm not going to start in on you. I'm here to listen," he said with a serious tone.

She seemed to soften. "I don't know where to start. Lucky and I had a fight. It was an awful argument, and he threw me out. I've been blaming him because after our fight, I went out to the pier to think."

"Sam," Nikolas started, "you can't keep blaming others for the things you do. Things happen, but it's how you handle the situation afterwards that matters. So go on. What about the pier?"

"I ran into Logan. We started talking, and then it started to rain. He suggested going back to his place to talk since it was close, and we were drenched. Once we reached his place, we started talking about Lucky and how he never wanted to see me again. Before I knew it, Logan kissed me and things happened from there. We never planned on anything happening."

Nikolas looked at her. "You could have stopped it from going any further. You were upset with Lucky. Being upset with one person and then being with someone else as a rebound never helps. Do you remember the time when Emily and I had a huge fight after Connor raped her? Eventually, it took an emotional toll on both of us, and we grew apart. When it got to be too much, we broke up, and I hooked up with Courtney. I won't go into all the details. In one small way, things happened for a reason because Courtney lives on through Spencer. But my main point is you are responsible for your own actions. I realized it then. Your actions can have awful consequences. Was that all that happened?"

"Yes, I remember what happened with Courtney. That was a hard time in your life. But, the night with Logan got worse after we were done. Aly walked in and saw us. She yelled and screamed and took off like there was no tomorrow…" she trailed off, not sure what to say next.

"Then I found her out on the road, and her car was wrecked. Sam, think about your actions from here on out. Don't act first. I'll be here for you, you can always call me," he told her. He gave her a hug. "I have to get going. I'll talk to you a bit later, ok?"

"Thanks for being there, Nikolas. I'll think about it. Talk to you soon," she said as they walked to the door. He left, and she went back to her room to sit and think.

Nikolas felt better after talking to Sam. He needed to look out for her; too, after all she is family. After leaving her apartment, he stopped at the pier and took a walk.

"Nikolas?" someone asked.

He turned around and saw his aunt, Alexis. "Hi there. How are you?"

"Pretty good. How are you doing?"

"Not bad at all. How is Kristina doing?" Nikolas asked.

"Thanks for asking. I was worried about Kristina for the longest time since she hadn't spoken since the night she saw Diego outside of our house. Yesterday she finally said a word, in fact a few of them," Alexis laughed. "Now she won't be quiet."

Nikolas smiled. "She is a tough girl, much like her mom. I'm glad to hear she's doing better. How's Molly?"

"Doing great. Better than ever. She's a good sister to Kristina. I love to watch them play together. Speaking of kids, when are you going to bring Spencer over to play with his cousins?"

"Pretty soon, that's a promise." He thought for a minute and said, "I just left Sam's apartment."

"You did?"

"Yes, I haven't gotten to see her in a while and wanted to check on her. She seems to be doing okay."

"For the most part, she is. Did she tell you that she found out today she was replaced at 'Everyday Heroes?'" Alexis said. "I was with her today when Wes came to tell her."

"No, she didn't tell me that. Well that explains her mood; she wasn't happy today. I'll try to keep in touch with her more often."

"Sounds good, Nikolas. She would appreciate it. I need to run and pick up the girls. I'll see you later."

"Bye, Alexis," he said.

As Nikolas walked around the pier, he spotted Lucky and called to him. "Lucky!"

Lucky turned around and saw Nikolas about fifteen yards from him. He walked over to him. "What's up? How's it going?"

"Good so far. I've been running into family members all day," he said and laughed. "Just ran into Alexis, and now you." Nikolas noticed that Lucky had a huge smile on his face. "What's going on with you? You look like you just swallowed a canary."

Lucky laughed. "I feel like I won the lottery or something like that."

"Ok, spill it. What's up?" He paused for a moment. "Wait, I recognize that smile. Who is the lady?" he said with a wink.

"Hmm…not sure I should tell you," he teased his brother. Nikolas looked at him puzzled, and then it dawned on him. "Ok, I'll tell you. I finally got up the nerve to talk to Aly and I asked her out."

"Awesome. It's about time. I was beginning to wonder if that was going to happen. I'm not trying to pry, but have you two been out yet?"

"Not yet," Lucky said. "She had to go out of town on a medical case, but she'll be back in a couple of days."

"That's great, Lucky. You two make a good pair. I'm happy for you. You can depend on each other."

"Thanks. She is a great girl. I'm looking forward to getting to know her better."

"Absolutely, just take your time and you will. Hey I've got to get back to Wyndemere. I promised Bobbie I wouldn't be long; she has Spencer this morning. I will see you soon."

"Yes, talk to you later," and with that, Lucky left. Nikolas was once again alone. He already saw too many of his family members in one morning. He turned around to head to the car, and he saw Emily standing there. "I thought you left me. I haven't seen you in a few days."

"No, Nikolas. I'm always with you in your heart. Our time is running short, and your tumor is still growing. You need to make a decision quickly. The darkness and madness isn't that far away, and your image of me will become distorted. Please don't wait until it's too late," she said to him.

"I've made up my mind. I want to be with you, that's why I won't have the surgery. I'm doing what I can to prolong my condition to keep you here with me."

"Are you sure you can trust Dr. Devlin? Don't you want to know what's in the pills he gave you? If they're illegal, they are dangerous. Why take that chance? Think about Spencer. You would be leaving him behind. If you don't do it for him or for yourself, do it for me, if you love me," Emily said. She had to be tough to try again to get through to him.

"I love you, Emily," he said. "I'm doing it because I don't want to lose you."

She said, "I know you do, but it's not your turn yet. You can't leave, you need to be here. Know that I'll always love you, too." She gave him a kiss and she left.

He sat down for a minute to regain his focus. His mind was starting to get foggy. He willed it to stop, and after a minute or two, it went away. He finally got back into his car and headed straight back to Wyndemere, where Spencer and Bobbie were waiting. And where he would await his next visions of Emily.

The following day would be a huge day for everyone at Pine Valley Hospital. Aly and Dr. Martin had a major breakthrough. The two went out to share the news with Kendall and Zach.

"What is it? Did you find what is wrong with my boys?" Kendall asked.

"We do believe we've found an answer," Dr. Martin said.

"Well, what is it?" Kendall asked.

"It's a rare disease called Kawasaki Disease, and it is only found in children and has no known cause. The boys' symptoms of a high fever, rash, red palms and soles of the feet, swollen hands and feet, bloodshot eyes, swollen lymph glands, and chapped lips fit into the criteria perfectly," Aly informed everyone.

"How do you treat it?" Zach asked.

"Treatment is simple, really. We'll be giving the boys some antibiotics that should take care of the disease right away. We will however continue monitoring their hearts. The disease can cause the vessels of the heart to become inflamed, damaging the heart, but like I said, we'll monitor this closely. I believe we have caught this in time." Aly said.

"What happens if it is too late?" Aiden asked.

"Well, if it is too late and there is too much damage to the heart, it could be fatal," Dr. Martin said.

"I will not lose my boys, I won't," Kendall said.

"Mrs. Slater, I promise you, we won't lose your boys. We are going to run some tests to see if there has been any damage to their hearts, and we'll go from there. I strongly believe that the antibiotics are going to be enough," Aly said, trying to reassure Kendall.

After the tests had been run and came back with positive results, Kendall was much more at ease.

"I want to thank you for all the work you've done to help my boys. You've been amazing, and I feel horrible for insulting you when I first met you. The boys have fallen in love with you. You are very good at what you do, you've been more than I could have expected," Kendall confessed to Aly.

"Mrs. Slater," Aly started to say.

"It's Kendall," she corrected her.

"Okay, Kendall. Like I said before, I understand. Your boys are your whole life, and you'd do anything for them. You're a good mother, and from what I hear a great business owner and author," Aly laughed. "I was privileged to be here and help your boys, and l fell in love with them as I fall in love with all my children, they are very special. Now my work here is done. Please, call me if you ever need anything," Aly said, handing Kendall her contact information. Kendall hugged Aly.

Aly said her goodbyes to the boys and to the staff she had been working with. Now she knew she was ready to go back to General Hospital.


	14. Waiting for Tonight

Chapter 14 Waiting For Tonight

**Chapter 14 - Waiting for Tonight**

Aly returned to Port Charles very late. She headed straight to bed once she arrived back at Fox Hollow. She wanted to call Lucky, but it was too late and she didn't want to wake him. She'd call him first thing in the morning.

The morning greeted her with warm sunshine and chirping birds. That wasn't the only sound she awoke to -- it was also the buzz of her cell phone on the table. 

She answered without looking at the caller id, "Hello?"

"Did I wake you?" a familiar voice asked.

"No, not at all. I was going to call you this morning," she said with a smile.

"Looks like I beat you to it," Lucky said.

"Looks like it. Sorry I didn't call when I got in last night. It was so late, and I didn't want to wake you," she apologized.

"Don't you ever worry about waking me up, you can call me anytime," he told her.

"Okay, I'll remember that," she said.

"What are your plans for today?" he asked.

"Well, believe it or not, I have to go to work," she said.

"You're going back to work at the hospital?" he asked.

"I am. After these past two weeks in Pine Valley, I'm feeling really good about things. I think it's time," she said confidently.

"Wow, Aly, that's great. I'm so happy for you."

"Thanks."

"You think you're ready to go out on that date?" he asked.

"I am so ready," she flirted.

"How about tonight? Meet me at the Metro Court at 7?" he asked.

"Sounds good," she smiled.

"I'll see you tonight then," he smiled.

"I can't wait," she said and hung up.

At the hospital, Aly was like Dorothy in the Land of Oz. It seemed so surreal to be back. She went to her office, the name plate still on the door -- Dr. Alexandra Russell it said. She ran her fingers over it, remembering how it felt when the maintenance man had first put it up. She walked in, only to find her closest friends at the hospital waiting for her.

"Welcome back!" they all shouted. Aly looked around her office to see Patrick and Robin, Elizabeth, Nadine, and Monica. Epiphany, Lainey, Leo and Kelly came in from behind. Aly realized then how truly blessed she was to work with such an amazing staff.

After chatting with her colleagues for a bit, Aly got right to work. She spent most of the day doing paperwork in her office. The pediatric unit was slow, which is a good thing, but Aly was anxious to get back to doing the part of the job she loved, and that was caring for children.

Aly went to the nurse's station to look over some patient files before leaving for the day. She was having trouble finding what she needed.

"I leave for a few months and you guys move everything around on me?" she teased.

Elizabeth handed her the file she had been looking for. "Here you go" she said.

"Thanks," Aly said, and thumbed through the file.

"You okay?" Elizabeth asked, noticing Aly's nervousness.

"Yeah, I'm great. I guess I'm just out of routine," Aly said.

"Okay. You sure there isn't something else?" Elizabeth inquired.

"That obvious?" Aly asked.

Elizabeth nodded, "What's going on?"

"Well, some of it is being back here. I didn't really know what to expect when I got here today, it's been a little overwhelming, I was nervous to come back. But I think I'm more nervous about tonight," she admitted.

"What's tonight?" Elizabeth asked with a smile, almost like she already knew.

"I have a date," she said shyly.

"That's great, Aly. Who's the lucky guy?" Elizabeth asked.

Aly laughed. "What?" Elizabeth asked.

Aly gave her a look as if to say 'you should know who it is' but said nothing.

"Wait a minute. It's Lucky, isn't it?" she asked with a smile.

"Is that weird for you?" Aly asked.

"Not at all. We've been through this already, Aly. I'm happy for you. Go and have some fun for once," Elizabeth said, encouraging her friend. Aly thanked her for being such a great friend. Then she realized the time and bolted out of the hospital. 

Back at Fox Hollow she rushed around getting ready. She showered, and messed with her hair for what seemed like forever. She couldn't decide on wearing it up or down, straight or curly. Finally she decided down and straight. Then she headed for her closet. Finding something to wear was easier than she had expected. She decided on a black dress and heels. She finished up her makeup, put on some earrings and headed downstairs.

"Wow!" 

"What?" Aly said with a laugh.

"My Noble sister looks like a beauty queen," Spinelli said.

"Thank you," she said, giving him a hug.

"Have fun tonight," he said.

"I will. I've been waiting for tonight," she said as she grabbed her purse and keys and left. 

Lucky was waiting for Aly in the lobby at the Metro Court. As soon as the two saw each other huge smiles graced their faces. 

"You look amazing," he said.

"Thank you, so do you," she said.

The two went to the restaurant. Lucky was a perfect gentleman, opening doors and pulling out chairs for Aly. There was plenty to talk about, none of which included Logan or Sam. 

"So I don't think I've ever asked you why you moved to Port Charles in the first place," he said.

"I needed to get away from the city. I remembered coming here when I was a child, and I had a lot of happy memories here. After my parents' death, I needed something to hold on to, and being back at Fox Hollow helped."

"But why pretend to be someone else?" he asked.

"I wanted to create a new life for myself. A normal life, something I wasn't accustomed to before. I wanted a normal job, a normal lifestyle. Fox Hollow isn't a normal place to live but I wasn't going to give that up, it's the reason why I came."

"I guess I don't understand how your life was abnormal before coming here," he admitted.

"I just, I didn't have your typical childhood. I didn't have normal social experiences. I never went to school; I never had friends my own age. Most girls have slumber parties and go to the prom. I didn't do all of that, and I guess I feel like I'm missing out on something."

"I understand what you are saying about having the same experiences as most people, but things like the prom don't define who you are, at least they shouldn't. But some of the experiences, you can still have them."

"I think I'm a little old for the senior prom," she laughed.

"That may be true. But who wants to be like everyone else? Most people can say they went to the prom, but very few people can say they went to medical school when they were sixteen." 

"Yeah, instead of learning how to drive, I was learning how to cut people open," she said. They both laughed. 

The evening was going really well. Good food, good conversation, it was perfect. They danced on the terrace after dinner, the moonlight perfectly in place. It couldn't have been planned. 

At the end of the night, Lucky walked Aly to her car. 

"I had a great time tonight," she said before getting into her car.

"Me too," he said.

"Call me soon okay?" she asked.

He nodded with a smile. She got in and was on her way. Later she lay in bed thinking about the night's events. She realized he hadn't kissed her. Her mind raced with scenarios of why he didn't. Was it her? Was it him? Did it not go as well as she thought? She barely got any sleep, and the morning came much too early. It was a silly thing to lose sleep over. She was just so sure of everything but couldn't come up with a reason for him to not kiss her.

At work, the day dragged by. She was busy but the time was going slowly. She went to the nursery to check on some new patients. She loved babies. They were amazing in her eyes, precious gifts from God. She held a new born girl and sang softly.

_It's not that unusual_

_When everything is beautiful _

_It's just another ordinary miracle today _

_The sky knows when it's time to snow _

_Don't need to teach a seed to grow _

_It's just another ordinary miracle today _

She felt someone's eyes on her. She looked up at the window, only to see Lucky standing outside, smiling as he listened to her. She laid the baby back down and went out to see why Lucky was there.

"What are you doing here?" she asked.

"I needed to see you," he said.

"How long have you been standing out here?" she asked, nervous that he had heard her.

"Long enough to hear you sing like an angel," he smiled. "Can we go somewhere to talk?"

"Sure," she said and led him to the rooftop where they wouldn't be interrupted. 

She turned to face him and before she could say anything, he kissed her. 

"What was that for?" she asked, surprised by his actions.

"I should have done it last night. I don't know why I didn't. I guess, I was nervous. What you make me feel is something I've never felt before. It's special and I guess maybe I didn't want to ruin it last night."

"I'm pretty sure if you would have done that last night, it wouldn't have ruined anything," she teased.

"Yeah?" he asked playfully.

"Oh yeah," she smiled, and he pulled her close and kissed her again.

They were interrupted by Aly's beeper. 

She checked it. "I gotta go. I'll call you later," she said, gave him another quick kiss, and left. 

The rest of the day, Aly was in much better spirits. It was as if she was walking on air. Her happiness did not go unnoticed.

"What's gotten into you?" Nadine asked, as she noticed Aly humming a song while she looked at files at the nurse's station.

"Probably that date she had last night," Elizabeth said with a grin.

"A date?" Nadine teased.

Aly looked at the both of them with a huge smile. The three girls just laughed.

"Alright, that's enough. You can continue your episode of Gossip Girl later. This is a hospital, and there is work to be done," Epiphany demanded. The girls smiled at each other and got back to work.

After a busy morning, Nikolas went out for a drive. His visions of Emily were becoming less frequent, which disturbed him, and the blackouts were happening more, even worse than before. When he saw Emily the last time, out at the pier after talking with Alexis and Lucky, she was wearing her favorite jeans, her green top, a light black jacket and black boots. She even wore her hair down. 'She never looks more alive than she does in that outfit,' he thought. He continued to drive and think.

His need to hold onto Emily for as long as he could was very strong. He was determined to do anything to keep her, at any cost. While he was stopped at a light, he reached into his pocket and took out the bottle of pills from Dr. Devlin. He opened it, took out two, picked up the bottle of water and swallowed them. He thought, 'this has to prolong my time with her. The doctor said it would but it can't improve my condition. This is the chance I have to take.' After a few more minutes of driving aimlessly, he decided to head back to Wyndemere. He had enough for one day.

Alfred greeted him as he walked through the door and into the hallway. "Good afternoon, Mr. Cassadine. Master Spencer is upstairs enjoying his nap, and Miss Lesley has gone home. May I get you anything?"

"No, but thank you, Alfred," he said as he walked into the study. He sat down at his desk. His will was in a folder, and he needed to review the changes he made. The first order of business was to make sure that Spencer was properly cared for. He stopped and thought about a conversation he had with Alexis not too long ago about this. He told her that Diego had killed his reason to live, and that's why he chose not to have the surgery. He thought back to the night of the Ball. 'It was supposed to be the most incredible night of our lives, and it was all taken away from us in a heartbeat.' He picked up the folder with the will inside, then he put it back down.

Instead, he looked at business papers for the Cassadine Company. He was able to stare at the papers only for a short time before his head started pounding. He went over and layed down on the couch and fell asleep. He had a restless sleep. It was filled with many images of happy times with Emily, the clothes she wore, if she wore her hair up or down, her perfume, and the way she felt against his skin. He would never forget that. He remembered everything about her. He woke up in a panic, believing Emily was still alive and with him. Within seconds, it all came crashing back to him. 

His thoughts were interrupted when Alfred knocked on the study door and came in with Spencer. "It's dinner time, Mr. Cassadine. He was up and looking for his father. I felt it was only right to bring him in to you."

"Daddy, Daddy…," Spencer said, as he ran into Nikolas' waiting arms. He tried to calm himself down and smiled at his son. Nikolas looked at him as if he saw him for the first time, amazed at how much Spencer looked more like him with each passing day. Someday after Nikolas was gone, Spencer would find out and maybe understand that his father died for love, and the reason why. He hoped that Spencer would be able to forgive him.

"Thank you. We'll be in for dinner in a couple of minutes," Nikolas said. Alfred left the study. Nikolas and Spencer sat together and played for a little while. Even though his visions of Emily were very important to him, at that particular moment, this was all that mattered to him. He held onto his son as if he'd never let him go.

After dinner, Nikolas took Spencer upstairs and put on cartoons for him to watch. He went across the hall to his room, the one he shared with Emily. He felt her spirit here the strongest. They spent a lot of time in here together, planning their future and the life they had dreamed about. The last time he was truly happy in this room, it was the beginning of the Black and White Ball, and they were waiting for the guests to arrive. He was wearing his black tuxedo, white shirt and tie, and she was wearing her beautiful, long white strapless gown. 'It was going to be happiest time of our lives,' he thought. He had just proposed to her, and after many trials and struggles, she once again agreed to be his wife. It was going to be picture perfect, and it was going to last for the rest of their lives. She looked absolutely radiant and dazzling. She wore her hair down and curly. She was his princess, and he would always see her that way.

Still thinking of her, he crossed the room, went over to the dresser and opened the drawer. He took out one of her shirts, held it close and closed his eyes. 

He started to break down. He couldn't take the torture anymore. It hurt too much. He just wanted it to be over. He wanted to go and be with her forever.

"Sweet Prince, open your eyes," the familiar voice said. "I'm here." 

He opened his eyes, and through his tears, he saw his beloved Emily standing before him once again. She looked as radiant and dazzling as she did the night of the Ball. Her hair was once again down and curly, and she was wearing her long white ball gown. She was also wearing the engagement ring that he had given her that night.He had never seen her look more elegant and regal, as pretty as a princess. Their romance had been filled with happiness and sadness, trials and tribulations, but they were finally going to have a modern day fairytale that most people dream about, for the rest of their lives. If anyone deserved it, it was Emily. He was going to make sure of it, until tragedy struck.

"Emily," Nikolas said as he took a few steps and hugged her. "I've been waiting for you to come back. I wasn't sure if you would after I saw you on the pier. Last time you were wearing blue jeans, your favorite green top, and your light black jacket. You wore your hair down and loose. It always looked amazing when you wore it that way."

"Nikolas, I appear to you however you want me to be dressed. Think back. Do you remember the day you told me how much you loved me?"

He smiled. "Yes. My mother had gone back to her catatonic state after remarrying Luke. I realized life was too precious, and I didn't want to waste my time without you knowing how I truly felt about you."

"If you remember, that was the outfit I had on the day we were locked in the stables together. We finally reunited and planned to spend Christmas as a family. Then we went through Spencer's kidnapping with Colleen, but it had a happy ending. That's why I appeared to you in that outfit. It was one of the many happy times we had together. Since you have been doing a lot of thinking and remembering about the Ball tonight, this is how you see me, before everything happened, and your world came crashing down around you. I will always be with you." She looked at him lovingly. "Our time is growing short. The danger is approaching. You need to make the decision to have the surgery."

"I can't do it. You are too important to me to lose. I don't want to stop seeing you this way. I need you so much, and I'm lost without you." He held her hand. "Without you, all I see are the four walls of this house and an empty space."

They sat down on the bed. She had seriousness in her tone. She needed to get through to him about his time growing short and that he had to live for Spencer. If she couldn't do it, she wasn't sure if anyone else could. Emily touched his face. "We had our time together. I will never forget it, and neither will you. But you can't give up and stop living because I'm not here anymore. Remember when you and Alexis got into that fight about having the surgery? I appeared, and I had to stop you. You were saying mean and hurtful things to her."

"But you're a part of everything around me. You are so real to me," Nikolas said.

"It's the natural progression of things to see the person you love in everything you do. You know the reason is the tumor. It is getting worse. You need to have this surgery. If you don't, it will turn all your dreams into a nightmare. Do you think that we'll be together after you die?"

He looked at her. "I'll take that chance. It's worth it to me." He closed his eyes again. When he opened them again, Emily's clothes were different. This time, she had on black jeans and a beautiful blue top that made her pretty green eyes sparkle. She had on shoes and this time, she wore her hair up in a pony tail. "Why have you changed your clothes?"

"This is how you want to see me at this moment. Dressed down and casual, how we spent most of our time in the house."

"We have to be together," he said. "That is the only way that I can live. Nothing else matters to me."

"This isn't you, the real you. You were brought up a Cassadine, and your father hurt a lot of people by being ruthless. I know your greatest fear was growing up to be like your father. But your mother is kind. You are so much like her. She has such generosity, compassion and love. You get that strength and love from her. I see it in you. You don't want to hurt the people that are so close to you, but you are still hurt and grieving over me. These last few months have been a gift to you. Not many people get a chance to look back this way. You were lucky to be able to figure out who the Text Message Killer was. But it's not going to last. It's going to become worse. Time is getting shorter." She looked at him. "Are you still taking those pills? Why are you using them? You need to stop taking them, and pull yourself back together. You need to regain your focus and concentrate on the future and raising Spencer. The pills aren't helping you. How do you know they aren't going to make the condition worse or kill you?"

"I don't know. They are supposed to prolong my condition so you will stay with me. I don't have a choice. I want you here. There has to be a way to keep you here and live my life." He got up from the bed, began pacing and became angry and upset. "Diego killed you, my reason to live. You are my life." Tears streamed down his face. "Why can't we just run off and be together if we want to?"

"Nikolas, you are a romantic and are so in love. But I'm the practical one, you know that. I can see what you want to remember and can't. I can see what's going on inside of you and how ugly it will get." She got up from the bed, grabbed his arms and tried to get him to listen to her. He had to listen to her – she knew it was his only hope. "Your symptoms are getting worse. You will lose control. There will be madness before death. You won't be in charge, and you won't see me this way anymore. When that happens, you can't turn back. You will see me in the way that you're afraid to see me… dying and in pain. But if you really, truly love me, you will do this. I love you." With that, she touched him and walked out of the room.

His head was spinning. He needed to sit down and stumbled a few feet onto the bed. All these thoughts, feelings, anxieties and fears going through his mind. He couldn't make sense of any of it. He tried to force his tears to stop. He needed to pull it together for a little while. If not for himself, then for Spencer, just this once.

There was a knock on his door. "Yes?" he said as best as he could.

"Miss Russell is downstairs and would like to see you."

"Please tell her that I'll be downstairs in a few minutes. Thank you, Alfred." He heard Alfred walk back downstairs. Now he really had a reason to pull himself back together. He didn't want Aly to see him in this state of mind.

Nikolas took a look in the mirror at himself. 'This will have to do,' he thought. He opened the door and went downstairs. As he walked down the stairs, he took deep breaths to calm himself down. He knew this was going to be difficult because Aly can read him like a book, almost as well as Emily could.

He walked into the study. She was wearing blue jeans, a pink top, sneakers, her hair was pulled back, and she was staring out the window. If he didn't know any better, he would have thought that it was Emily again. "Hey, Aly. What brings you by?" He tried his best to act calm, cool and collected, but he wasn't sure it was working.

Aly turned around and looked at him. "I wanted to check on you, see how you were doing." She had this wonderful smile on her face, which made Nikolas wonder what was up her sleeve. They sat down on the couch.

"I'm doing the best I can – it's been rough. Before we talk about me, what's going on with you? You have a smile on from here to Texas, so obviously something big happened," he said. It was time to forget his problems for a few minutes and focus on someone else for a change.

She laughed. "Now, I'm surprised you haven't guessed what's going on. You haven't seen me smile like this in quite a while, actually, I take that back…. I haven't smiled this way for as long as I can remember."

Suddenly, it hit him. He thought back to the conversation he had with Lucky on the pier a couple of days ago. "Let me guess, it has something to do with my brother."

"Bingo," Aly said, grinning again. Nikolas broke into a smile as well. "We've been getting along so well. Every week after our meetings, we'd go out for coffee. He finally asked me out a couple of weeks ago, but I had to go out of town so we postponed it, until last night."

"I'm glad that you and Lucky finally got together."

"We went to dinner and just spent time together. I've grown to care about him in a way that I've never cared about any guy before, not even Logan. He is a great guy."

"Aly, you are a great girl. You deserve the best. Lucky is a pretty good guy. You two would make a great couple. I'm happy for both of you. You have my blessing."

She smiled. "Thank you, Nik. That's not really what I came here for, but I'm glad you approve. That really touched me. It's important to me, and he means a lot to me already. I just want your brother to be happy, and I'm happy too."

"I can tell you do. Spend as much time as you can together, and be there for each other. You'll make a great team. You never know when things can change in a blink of an eye. Love can be here one minute, and gone the next," he said somberly. He went from a smile to this sad look, that only Aly, or Emily, would recognize.

His mood change didn't go unnoticed. "Something happened tonight, or in the past couple of days. I'm sorry we haven't been able to catch up till now. Talk to me; tell me what's going on. What's happening with Emily? That has to be it; otherwise I don't know why you just got so quiet and melancholy."

"I'm still seeing her. We talked the other day on the pier, the day I saw Lucky, too. I was running into some of my family. I saw Alexis and went to see Sam. I finally had that long overdue talk with her about that night she was with Logan. I'll spare you the details, but I think I got through to her, and she is doing some heavy thinking."

"I'm glad you got to talk with her. I know you wanted to. Go on, what else happened?"

"As I was on the pier and going back to the car, Emily appeared. She was pushing me to have the surgery, to live for Spencer, and our love would always be in my heart. She also said that it wasn't my time to leave yet. Then she kissed me and disappeared. I thought she was gone this time. But, she came back tonight. We were upstairs in the bedroom talking. She was even more persistent tonight about living for Spencer, my family, and for me. She said that I can't continue to live in the past and that the tumor will get worse. My visions of her are going to change."

"Nik, she's right. Being a doctor too, I can see where she is coming from. A condition like the one you have isn't going to get better or stay the way it is by itself forever. There's going to be a point where things will change and it will get worse. I've done some reading about your condition."

"But I don't want to lose her," he said. "She has been my life so long and I need her here with me."

"I understand that, it's hard to lose someone that you loved so much. I was the same way when I lost my parents. But you can't hide in the darkness and live in the past forever. I learned that. You knew that too when you tried to pull me out of the darkness when I was hooked on the painkillers. We are friends -- close friends -- and we are here for each other no matter what. We are stubborn, both of us, as we know, but it takes another stubborn person to get through to the other. Just remember that." She smiled again.

"I appreciate you being here for me. Emily said something else. My condition is going to keep getting worse, my images of her will become distorted, and I'll see her dying and in pain. There will be madness and I'm going to lose control before death happens. I'm not afraid of dying but I don't want to live without her."

"I understand that, too. From what little research I did about your condition, she's absolutely right. It's going to get a lot worse, and you're going to lose any perception of reality. The tumor is going to grow and put pressure on the brain, and all sorts of things are going to occur. It's not going to be pretty. Are you sure this is what you want to do? Do you want to leave Spencer, your family and friends, and your entire life? Would you really die for love?" She was getting mad at him.

"That's what I want, to be with Emily forever." He got up from the couch and started pacing.

"You have so much to live for. How do you know that you're going to be with her once you die? There are no guarantees in life, or even death. You were given a gift, to say whatever you needed to to Emily, to say your goodbyes that you didn't get to do in this life, and prepare yourself to move on with your life. She doesn't want you to die, and leave Spencer without a father." 

She began to rant and became harsher with her tone. "Do you remember what it was like to grow up without your mother? You told me once that she wasn't around in your life as you were growing up. Spencer wouldn't be as lucky, to have his parent come back into his life when he is older like you did. You and Emily are the only parents that Spencer has ever known," she tried to make him understand her point of view and common sense. He stopped pacing and sat down at his desk. "Was Spencer's real mom Emily?"

"No. His real mother Courtney, died not too long after he was born, so he never knew her. I can't think about any of this now. I've made arrangements for Spencer, and after I'm gone, he will be well taken care of. I do know how difficult it was to grow up without my mother being around. The man whom I believed was my father, Stefan, was really my uncle. My father, Stavros, didn't show up for many years. Yes, I know how difficult it will be for Spencer to grow up without his father around, but this is my choice, and you can't change my mind about it," he yelled. He wasn't going to give in to her.

She got up and walked over to his desk. "Do you think that's fair to Spencer to grow up without both of his parents then?" she yelled.

"No, I don't, but I have to do this," he yelled back at her. "Someday maybe he'll understand the choice that I made. I hope that he doesn't hate me and will forgive me."

"I love you as my friend, I don't want to lose you, and I'm selfish. I want you to stay in my life. You mean a lot to me, Nik. I'll do anything I can to help you and keep you here with us," she yelled. She was trying anything to get through to him. She started to calm down again and sat back down on the couch. "Please….just think about what Emily said, and now what I said. Spencer needs you in his life, as do the rest of us. You need to have this surgery." She looked at her watch. "It's getting late, and I need to get back to Fox Hollow."

"I'll take into consideration what you've said to me. You are important to me, too. I'll think about it and we'll talk tomorrow." He got up from the desk, and she got up from the couch, and they walked to the front door. As they said goodbye, he gave her a hug. "I'll call you tomorrow. Thanks for stopping by. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome. I'll always be here for you. Get some rest. Talk to you tomorrow." With that, she walked out the door, and back to her car. Nikolas closed the door and went back upstairs.

He had a restless night of sleep. More dreams of Emily, some that he remembered and some that he didn't want to remember – happy times, when they first met, what they were wearing, their wedding around Christmas three years ago, and then the night of the Ball and those awful memories were crowding his mind. He wished he could erase all those bad memories, wake up and say it was a dream. Every morning, that was his wish. 

As he woke up, something came to his mind that he heard in the last few days.

_When you're dreaming with a broken heart  
The waking up is the hardest part  
You roll outta bed and down on your knees  
And for the moment you can hardly breathe  
Wondering was she really here?  
Is she standing in my room?  
No she's not, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone..._

When you're dreaming with a broken heart  
The giving up is the hardest part  
She takes you in with her crying eyes  
Then all at once you have to say goodbye  
Wondering could you stay my love?  
Will you wake up by my side?  
No she can't, 'cause she's gone, gone, gone, gone, gone...  


He immediately called Dr. Devlin and asked him to come over. He got Spencer up, fed and he was in the nursery with Lesley in about a half hour.

About a half hour later, Dr. Devlin arrived. Nikolas personally greeted him at the door and led him into the study.

"Thank you for coming by. I wanted to get more of a supply of the medicine for myself," Nikolas said.

"I take it that the patient likes the results he is getting."

"Yes I do. I know it's going to keep Emily around as long as possible and maybe I can live a normal life and keep her with me too. Are there any side effects to taking the drug?"

"Your condition will be prolonged. You will continue to have images of your beloved fiancée but the hallucinations may change and become distorted, or your body may not accept the drug."

"That doesn't matter to me. I'm happy with the results and as long as she stays here, that's the most important thing," Nikolas said. He needed as much of the medicine as he could get.

Dr. Devlin was shrewd and realized that Nikolas enjoyed still seeing his deceased fiancée. "I will offer you a one year agreement for a supply of the drug. However we need to talk about the cost. Ten million dollars."

Nikolas laughed. "Do you think I'm desperate?"

"Yes, seeing how I'm the only one keeping Emily alive for you. What do you think?"

He thought for a minute. "You have a deal."

"Great. I'll be in touch. I hope that none of your servants will mention that I was here," Dr. Devlin said.

"No," Nikolas said. "They are very loyal to me and will not say a word. I'll be in touch." Nikolas led him out of the study and to the front door. Dr. Devlin left, and Nikolas went back to the study. He sat down and began to think.

"Am I worth ten million dollars?" came her sweet voice. She was dressed in white jeans and a red top this time. Her hair was once again down and curly.

"Emily, you are priceless to me. I will do anything to keep you here forever," he said.

"But how do you know what the side effects are? How do you know that it won't kill you? You can't take this chance, even to keep me here. You need to stay here for Spencer and your family. Listen to Aly, Nikolas. Maybe she is the one that can convince you if I can't. This is too risky; you can't keep taking this drug. And I don't like Dr. Devlin, I don't trust him either. There's something about him that I don't like at all. Ten million dollars is too high a price to pay."

"I don't care," he said, taking her hands. "I would spend ten times that amount if it meant you would be here forever with me."

"But you are avoiding the inevitable, and sooner or later it will catch up with you," she pleaded.

"Let's just enjoy the time we have together, right now at this very moment," he said and kissed her. As long as he had her in his arms, all was right in his world.

Nikolas did not want to listen to all the warnings that came from Emily and Aly about the tumor and the drugs. He had no idea that it was going to turn out like this. Nothing could prepare him for what was about to happen.

First Lyrics: "Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah McLachlan

Second Lyrics: "Dreaming With a Broken Heart" by John Mayer


	15. Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

**Chapter 15 - Girls Just Wanna Have Fun**

Aly was on overload. She was putting in a lot of hours at the hospital. When she wasn't at the hospital, she was with Lucky. Her worries about Nikolas were starting to take a toll on her as well. She was so worried about him that she was starting to lose sleep. Thoughts of Lucky were the only thing keeping her sane at the moment.

After pulling a double shift, Aly got in her car and started to drive home. She soon realized she'd never make it there, she was much too tired. She turned onto Royal Street.

"Aly, hi," Lucky said as he opened the door.

"Hey," she said, giving him a kiss.

"You look tired. Long day at work?" he asked.

"I got called in last night for an emergency surgery, but the time we were finished, it was time for my shift to start so I just worked a full twenty four hours. I am completely exhausted. I knew I wouldn't make it home, so I just came here. I hope that's okay."

"Of course it is. I'm glad you came," he said, hugging her, and rubbing her back. "Are you hungry?"

"Starving," she said.

"Well, why don't you go up and grab a shower, and I'll order us some food," he said with a grin.

"Sounds good," she smiled.

She went upstairs and started the shower. She felt a little awkward being in his shower. They had only been seeing each other for a few months but it felt like it had been much longer. Their relationship was already so strong. After her shower, she grabbed some of Lucky's flannel pajama pants and a t-shirt to wear. They were a bit on the large side but comfy nonetheless. She pulled her long brown hair back into a pony tail and went downstairs.

When she came down the stairs, Lucky was sitting on the couch. He turned to see her.

He grinned. "You look comfortable."

"I hope you don't mind, I really wanted some clean clothes," she said shyly.

"Will you please stop acting like you are imposing or something? You are my girlfriend, and you are more than welcome to stay here anytime and wear my clothes. Besides, they look better on you than they do on me," he flirted.

She joined him on the couch and they ate their Chinese food. They playfully fed each other and talked about their day. When they finished, Aly curled up next to Lucky on the couch and was asleep within minutes.

Just on the outskirts of town, a new face was about to embark on the journey of her life.

Paige Colbertson was thirty years old and a single mom. Her daughter, Zoey was asleep in the back seat. About a month ago, Paige found out that she has family in New York that she never met, in a town she'd never heard of. It took a little thinking and planning, but she finally decided it was time. Her parents seemed to understand. Her mom understood her reasons, after all her mom was very adventurous when she was younger. Even though Paige loved Montana, the skies, the farm, and her family, she had a dream to pursue. 'Why not?' she thought. 'I have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Plus, it's New York. Anything can happen.'

She felt in her heart that it was time to make a new start, somewhere that she could give her daughter the life that she herself had only dreamed of. Not that she didn't have everything she wanted growing up. Her parents gave her everything they could. But Kalispell, Montana had changed in the last few years. She was ready to find a new place to set down roots. Her sense of adventure was starting to come out; she had her mother to thank for that. 'Mom is the adventurous one,' she thought. 'She was always telling me stories about her cousin and all the places they went to. It's time for my own adventure.'

She focused on driving again and took the exit "Port Charles" and drove towards town. Paige wasn't sure where to start or what to do. She realized it was around supper time. She needed to find a place to stay, feed Zoey and get some rest. She would figure out her next step in the morning.

Paige pulled into the Metro Court hotel parking lot. "Zoey, honey, time to wake up. We're here. Got to get inside for dinner."

"Mommy, where are we?" she asked.

"Don't worry that pretty little head of yours." She looked back at smiled at her daughter. "I know we've been driving for a few days, but now we can sleep in a real bed and rest tonight." She pulled up to the valet, and she and Zoey got out. The Bellhop unloaded the bags from the trunk and waited to follow them into the Lobby. She handed the keys to the Valet, and they walked inside.

"It sure is a busy place," Zoey said.

Paige laughed. "Yes it is. We picked a good place." They walked up to the front desk. "Hi, do you have any rooms available? I'd like one for a few nights."

"Sure, Miss. How many in your party?" the girl at the desk politely asked.

"Two, an adult and a child."

"Not a problem. I can put you in room 714. Is a two bedroom ok?" the girl asked.

"Absolutely. Thank you. Which way is that?"

"Go down that hallway; take the elevator up to the 7th floor. Once you get off the elevator, make a right turn and it's the second door on the left."

Paige handed her the credit card, and the girl asked her a few other questions. Once that was taken care of, Paige said, "Thanks again. Do I need a reservation for the restaurant?"

"No. You can just walk right in. Enjoy your stay. If you need anything, please call the front desk. Thank you for staying at the Metro Court."

They headed to the elevator, followed by the Bellhop and their bags. She found the room easily, gave the Bellhop a tip, and they flopped onto the bed.

"Feels good to be on a real bed again," Zoey said.

"I know. We can stay here for a few minutes, and then we have to get something to eat."

After they rested, it was time to freshen up and go to dinner. Paige was surprised there weren't too many people inside. They must be early. The maitre'd greeted them and sat them at a table near the piano. "Your waiter will be with you in a moment," he said. He handed her a menu, gave Zoey some paper and crayons, and walked away.

They ordered and waited. Zoey was drawing all sorts of things; she was such a little artist. She drew a gray horse, a stable, a fence and a rider. Paige recognized the picture in a heartbeat. It was her parents' farm. She knew that Zoey missed it. Even though she was a little too young to understand why they left, it never stopped her from asking questions. Each time, Paige told her they would go back to visit as soon as they got settled and into a routine.

She looked at Zoey's picture. "What a beautiful picture of Callie. I know you miss her. But Papa and Grandma will take care of her until we can get back there. Aunt Kate and Uncle Toby will go and see him too." She thought of her brother and sister and smiled.

"I know, Mommy. I'm drawing it so I won't forget what she looks like until then." She smiled at Paige with all the love in her eyes of a five year old. "And so you won't forget either."

Paige had to look away; otherwise Zoey would see her tears forming. Paige had to do this for herself and Zoey. If she didn't, she would always wonder, what if? She didn't want to live her life with any regrets. She needed to see what the rest of the world had to offer. She turned and took notice of the piano and how inviting it looked. It was calling her name, beckoning her to stroke its keys and play something. 'Not tonight,' she thought looking at it. 'I'll come back and play you another night.'

In no time at all, dinner was served. It was nice to have real food, and not fast food. It had been three days of fast food just to drive across the country. What a journey, but they made it.

After dinner, they went upstairs and watched TV. Eventually, it was time for Zoey to get ready for bed. Paige gave her a bath, got her changed, made sure she brushed her teeth, and tucked her in. "Goodnight, Zoey. See you in the morning. Love you."

"Love you too, Mommy. Nite nite, don't let the bed bugs bite," Zoey said.

Paige laughed. "I won't, you either." She left a nightlight on and shut the door. After a shower and a bit of TV, she turned in. She was excited to be in a new town -- and new possibilities.

Both of them slept well. The next morning, they got up and got ready to go. They started driving around. After exploring for a while, she pulled up to Kelly's. It looked like a nice corner place, 'I'm sure everyone knows each other,' she thought as they walked in. She noticed that Zoey still had her drawing of the farm from the night before with her. "Why didn't you leave that in the car?"

"Because I want to hold onto it. I promise I won't lose it."

"Ok, if it makes you feel better," Paige said. "Let's get something to eat." They walked up to the stools, sat down and ordered. The waitress was very nice to them. She was a part time college student.

At another table, Robin, Elizabeth and Aly were eating breakfast and chatting about things going on at the hospital and in their lives. Elizabeth was talking about Jason, Cam and Jake. Robin was talking about the baby and Patrick. Aly was jumping back and forth between Spinelli, Lucky and Nikolas.

At the counter, Paige turned her back on Zoey for a minute to get something out of her purse and quickly turned around when she heard someone talking to her daughter.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," Aly said. "I didn't mean to worry you. Your daughter dropped her picture when you walked in, and I wanted to return it to her. By the way, I'm Aly Russell. I don't think I've seen you around before."

"My name is Paige Colbertson, and this is my daughter, Zoey. We just arrived in town last night. Today is our first day here. What a great place."

"Hello, Zoey, nice to meet you. It is and a good place to meet people." She opened her purse. "Let me give you my card. If you need a doctor for Zoey, I have an office at General Hospital in the pediatric unit. Please give me a call."

"Thank you, Aly. That's really sweet of you. I'll keep it in mind."

"Please join my friends and me. You would really like them, and since you're new here, what's another couple of new friends?" Aly laughed.

Immediately, Paige relaxed. "Sure, why not. Zoey, you can walk over with Miss Aly, I'll bring your cereal over." They walked about ten yards to the table.

"Robin and Elizabeth, this is Paige and her daughter, Zoey. They're new in town. I invited them to sit with us for a little bit."

"Hey Paige, hi Zoey," Robin said. "Welcome."

"Hi there," Elizabeth said. "Nice to meet both of you."

"How long are you in town for?" Robin asked.

"Just moved out from Montana and here to stay," Paige said and smiled. "Looking for a brand new start. About a month ago, I found out from my parents that I have family in New York. I wanted Zoey to have a different experience than I did growing up, so I took the chance and here we are."

"You're going to love it here," Elizabeth said. "Robin and I also work at General Hospital."

"But when we're not there, we're usually here eating," Robin said. They all laughed and chatted for a little bit.

Elizabeth looked at her watch. "Girls, I have to run. Paige, Zoey, it was great to meet you. Stop by the hospital sometime, would love to get to know you."

After a few more minutes of chatting, Aly and Robin got up. "You have my card, Paige. Give me a call," Aly said.

"I will. It was great to meet you, Aly. I'll talk to you soon." With that, Aly left.

Robin hung around for another minute or two. "Where are you staying?"

"Metro Court for now, but I'm still looking around."

"You should talk to Mike, who owns this place. He might have something available upstairs for you. We're usually here every morning so feel free to join us for breakfast. If you need to get in touch with me or a friend to talk to, here is my number. It's always good to know at least one person in town," Robin said and smiled at her. She wrote down her number and handed it to Paige.

"Thanks, Robin. Here's my cell phone number too, just in case. Maybe I'll give you a call over the weekend. Hopefully by then, I'll be settled in a new place. It was great to meet you. I look forward to getting to know all of you." She wrote her number and gave it to Robin.

"You too. Bye Zoey, see you soon," Robin said and she left.

As Zoey was still eating, Paige went over to the counter, never took her eye off Zoey, and while she was waiting for Mike, she started talking with the waitress. Finally, Mike came over and they started chatting. He indeed had an apartment available upstairs. He needed a day or two to get it ready for her. Mike didn't want to tell her that it was next to Cooper Barrett's old apartment. He didn't want to scare her away. "It will be ready on Friday, how does that sound?"

"Perfect," she said. "Thank you, Mike." With that she went back over to Zoey. After breakfast, she headed out and explored the town some more. She couldn't wait for Friday to come around and move into their own place. She was ready for the next phase of their lives to begin.

The rest of the week at the hospital continued to be busy, but finally Friday arrived. In the locker room, Robin, Aly, and Elizabeth all discussed what a crazy week it had been. Kelly walked in as the girls were venting and made a suggestion.

"Sounds like we all need a Girls Night Out," she said.

"That's not a bad idea," Elizabeth said with a smile.

"I'm not so sure that's a good idea for me," Robin said.

"Oh come on, you can be the designated driver," Elizabeth said, teasing her.

"Oh, gee that sounds exciting," Robin retorted.

Aly was pondering, "What if we did a Girls Night In?"

"What do you mean?" Kelly asked.

"I mean like, let's have a girl's night but stay in. We could have a….slumber party. Yes, a slumber party, everyone can come stay at Fox Hollow. We'll have drinks, and just be girls."

"I'm in," Kelly said without hesitation.

"Me too, the boys can stay with Gram," Elizabeth said.

"Count me in, too," Robin said.

"Great! Oh this is going to be so much fun. Kelly, let Lainey know our plans, and I'll catch up with Nadine. Everyone meet at Fox Hollow at 7 tonight," Aly said like she was a school aged girl.

"We should invite Paige. It would be a good way for her to get to know some people," Robin suggested.

"Yeah, we should," Aly agreed.

"Last I knew, she was staying at the Metro Court. I'll give her a call," Robin said.

"Well, I think that's it then," Aly said.

"Wait. Aly, do you have salt, limes, and a bottle or two of tequila?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, why?" Aly asked.

"You'll see," Elizabeth said with a mischievous grin.

With that being said, the girls finished dressing and were on their way.

Aly called Lucky to let him know what was going on.

"A slumber party huh? Sounds kinda sexy," he flirted.

"Oh please. It's not like we are gonna have a pillow fight or something," Aly said.

"Well, you girls have fun. I'll see what Nikolas is up to, maybe go and visit him and Spencer," Lucky said.

"That's a good idea. I'll call you tomorrow," Aly said. They said their goodbyes and hung up.

She called Spinelli to give him fair warning. He agreed to leave Fox Hollow and stay elsewhere. He thought he might go stay at the Penthouse with Jason for old time's sake.

At the same time, over at Metro Court, Paige was busy packing up their suitcases and getting ready to move to the apartment over Kelly's. She double checked the drawers again, and satisfied, gathered the bags and Zoey and went to check out.

She nearly broke a speed record making her way over to Kelly's and the apartment. She couldn't believe how nice it was. Even though it was small, with a living room, a kitchen, and two bedrooms, it was perfect for them. She started to unpack.

She put on Zoey's favorite movie, High School Musical 2 on the portable DVD player. 'High School Musical 2 is this generation's Grease, only much cleaner', she thought with a smile. Zoey settled in and started to relax. Paige was cleaning and setting a couple of things up. When she came back in the room, she was greeted by the sounds of Troy and Gabriella singing from the DVD. Zoey had seen this movie a million times. Each time they were in the car, the movie "just had to be on," according to Zoey. Paige memorized most of the words to the songs too. She giggled at how funny that was. Paige and Zoey sang along.

_You know the words 'once upon a time'_

_Make you listen, there's a reason_

_When you dream there's a chance you'll find_

_A little laughter, or happy ever after…_

_When I hear my favorite song_

_I know that we belong_

_You are the music in me_

_It's living in all of us_

_It's brought us here because_

_You are the music in me_

Right in the middle of the song, Paige's cell phone rang.

"Hello?"

"Paige? It's Robin, from General Hospital. How are you?"

"Hi Robin. I'm doing great. Zoey and I are at the apartment at Kelly's. We got here a couple of hours ago and now we're relaxing. What's going on?"

"A few of us girls are having a Girls Night In over at Aly's house tonight, a sleepover, and we wanted to invite you. What better way to make friends than at a party?" They both laughed.

"Let me think about it, and I'll give you a call back later. I have things to finish up first. What time is it, and where is Aly's house?"

"It's at 7. Aly lives at Fox Hollow. I can give you directions later on today in between my rounds. How does that sound?"

"Perfect. Thanks, Robin. I'll give you a call later. Have a good day," Paige said. "Bye for now."

"You too. Bye, Paige," and Robin hung up.

Paige thought it was such a nice gesture from Robin and Aly to invite her, seeing how she only met them two days ago. She hadn't done a sleepover in a long time. She continued to work around the apartment. After the movie was over, they went out, did some shopping and got the essentials they needed.

After she got home from the hospital, Aly had the cook make up some brownies and other treats for the girls to enjoy. She asked Carter to make sure all of the bedrooms had fresh sheets as well as fresh towels and a bouquet of fresh roses in the bathrooms. She went to each guest bath herself and checked to make sure there was enough soap, shampoo and any other products the girls might need. She wanted her friends to relax and renew. If she was going to do this, she was going to do it right. She wasn't showing off, she just wanted her girlfriends to be treated like royalty while they stayed at her home.

She went downstairs and checked to make sure she had the three things that Elizabeth had inquired about. Salt? Check. Limes? Check. Several bottles of tequila? Check. Water for Robin. Check. They were set.

Elizabeth, Robin, Lainey, Nadine, and Kelly arrived promptly at 7. Everyone was excited about the evening.

"Robin, is Paige joining us?" Aly asked.

"I talked with her about an hour ago. She said she wasn't comfortable leaving Zoey with anyone but she appreciated the invitation," Robin said.

"Call her and tell her to bring Zoey with her. This is a perfect opportunity for her to make some friends," Aly smiled.

Robin agreed and got on the phone. Paige was reluctant at first but Robin convinced her to join the party. Robin gave her directions, and Paige and Zoey would be there shortly.

"There are plenty of rooms for each of you to have your own. Each room has its own bathroom and you should find everything you'll need. You may pick any room you'd like except for the first room on the left, that's Spinelli's, and the last room on the right, that's mine. When you've put your things in your room, please join me here in the foyer and we'll get this party started," Aly requested.

Once everyone returned the foyer, Aly led everyone out back to the fire pit. It was a beautiful evening. The girls sat around the pit, roasting marshmallows and drinking wine.

Meanwhile, Lucky had gone to see Nikolas at Wyndemere. His adventurous streak started to show. He finally convinced Nikolas to go to Fox Hollow with him to 'check' on the girls. The guys lurked around the grounds until they spotted the girls at the fire pit. They hid in the bushes, careful not to let their presence be known.

"Why are we doing this? I feel like a twelve year old," Nikolas whispered to Lucky.

"We're doing it because it's fun. And besides, if you and I had grown up together, we would have done this kind of thing all of the time," Lucky told him. They both got quiet and listened in on the conversation between the girls.

"Didn't you girls have Girls Night Out with Emily?" Aly asked.

"Yeah, we had some pretty great times at Jake's," Robin said.

The girls all laughed like Robin had just told an inside joke.

"I miss her," Elizabeth said sadly.

"We all do," Lainey added.

"I wish I would have had the chance to have really known her. She seemed so amazing and incredibly down to Earth. No wonder Nikolas loved her so much," Aly commented.

Nikolas couldn't move. It still hurt listening to someone talk about Emily like she was gone. If only they knew he was still able to be with her.

"You would have loved her," Kelly said to Aly. "She was the great love of Nikolas' life."

Aly thought for a moment, and then raised her glass. "I propose a toast," she said. The girls all raised their glasses.

"To Emily. May she live on forever in the hearts of those who loved her," Aly said with a smile.

"To Emily," the girls all said.

In the bushes with Lucky, a tear fell from Nikolas' eye. He had just witnessed a beautiful moment among women whom he had such respect for. He knew that Emily had not only touched his life, but all of theirs as well. He wiped the tear from his face and lost his balance, causing the bushes to shake.

"What was that?" Nadine asked.

"Probably just an animal," Aly said without fear.

Lucky and Nikolas moved quickly away from the scene for fear they'd be found out, causing more rustling.

"I think maybe we should go in now," Aly suggested. The girls grabbed their glasses and followed Aly back into the mansion. Paige and Zoey arrived while the girls were coming back inside.

"Hi, Aly, what a beautiful house… or mansion, I should say."

"Hi Zoey. Thank you, Paige. I'll bring you both upstairs. I know the perfect room for you both to stay in. My butler Carter is around in case Zoey needs anything tonight. She'll be just fine. Once you get Zoey tucked in for the night, please come back down. You're in for a fun night."

Aly led them upstairs to a bedroom that had an adjoining room, perfect for a mom and little girl.

"I can't wait, Mommy. This will be fun," Zoey said, and smiled. She was so excited. Aly left them alone to get settled in. Paige came back downstairs within minutes. Zoey was watching her movie and all set for bed.

While the girls were getting comfortable inside, Lucky and Nikolas made their way to the front of the estate. They were surprised by what they found.

"What are you two doing here?" Jason asked.

"What are the two of you doing here?" Lucky asked as he looked back and forth between Spinelli and Jason.

"The Jackal resides here," Spinelli said.

"But not tonight. What's going on?" Lucky asked.

"We just came by to check on the girls," Jason said.

"Us too," Nikolas said.

"Well, we've checked, they're all fine. Let's go," Jason said as he pulled on Spinelli's shirt.

Nikolas asked as he looked into the window to where the girls were now. "Who's the blonde?"

Lucky looked in. "That must be Paige. Aly was telling me about her yesterday. She just moved to town."

"Another new face. She's pretty," Nikolas said and turned his attention back to the guys.

"Let's go, Spinelli," Jason said again.

"Wait a second," Lucky said.

Jason gave him a look as if to say 'what are you up to?'

"Since we all came all the way out here, I say we have a little fun," Lucky said with an evil grin.

"What are thinking of doing?" Nikolas asked. He was about ready to have some fun. He wished at that point that he and Lucky had grown up closer and done things like this. It's what brothers do.

"Just some little pranks, have fun with the girls," Lucky said.

"What are we, twelve?" Jason asked.

"I said the same thing to Lucky a bit earlier," Nikolas said with a smile.

"You know, you and Nikolas aren't any fun," Lucky said.

"I'm in," Spinelli said. Jason gave him a 'how dare you' stare.

"You want fun? I'll give you fun," Nikolas said. He was ready now. "Bring it on."

"You in or not?" Spinelli asked Jason.

"Okay, but let's not let this get out of hand," Jason warned.

"Where do we start?" Nikolas asked.

"The tunnels," Spinelli said randomly.

"Tunnels?" Lucky asked.

"This place has tunnels everywhere. It's not called Fox Hollow for nothing," Spinelli told him.

The guys soon found themselves inside the tunnels that went throughout the house. They decided to spook the girls a bit. They tapped on the walls of the tunnel. They were getting a kick out of themselves as they heard the girls starting to get nervous. Spinelli got out his laptop and started pecking away at the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Jason asked.

"You'll see. One last thing, the icing on the cake if you will," Spinelli said with a sly grin.

One by one, the girls' cell phones rang, and then their pagers beeped. Every single phone except for Paige's was going off.

"Ok, this is just insane? Is your house haunted or what?" Kelly asked.

The girls were truly frightened. When Aly looked at her phone she knew exactly who was behind the strange happenings.

"Show yourself!" Aly demanded. "If not, I'll come and find you! You can't hide from me for too long!"

Slowly, each of the guys came out of the tunnel and into the room. The girls all looked at each other, completely confused.

"I knew it!" Aly exclaimed.

"How did you know it was us?" Lucky asked, as he crossed the room and gave Aly a kiss.

"I didn't know until Spinelli decided to send that signal to all of our phones and pagers," Aly laughed. She explained to the girls that the mansion has secret tunnels and passageways, and that's how the guys got in. They all laughed.

"Paige," Aly said to her, "this is my boyfriend, Lucky. The guy with the PC is my brother, Spinelli."

Elizabeth said, "This is Jason, my boyfriend." She had a big grin on her face.

"I'm Nikolas. Nice to meet you, Paige," Nikolas said as he stepped forward and shook her hand, always the perfect gentleman. "I'm Lucky's brother."

"Nice to meet you too. So you guys decided to play some tricks on us, huh? It made the night exciting," Paige said. All of them talked and caught up for a little while.

Aly thanked the guys for making the evening eventful, and then told them to get out, and that's what they did. They left.

Spinelli and Jason headed back to the Penthouse. Lucky went back to Wyndemere with Nikolas, talking all the while about the pranks they pulled on the girls, and that if they had grown up together, all the things they could have done as brothers.

When things had settled back down, the girls got down to business.

"You got those items I inquired about?" Elizabeth asked with a devilish grin.

"I do," Aly said. She went to the kitchen and brought out Elizabeth's request.

"It is time….time to lick it! Slam it! Suck it!" Kelly said, laughing.

After several shots of tequila, the girls settled down and serious conversation started.

"So Aly, Spinelli tells me you are a very talented musician," Nadine said.

"I don't know about very talented, but I am definitely into music. When I was a child, not going to school, my mom insisted that I do something productive with my time, so she had me take piano and violin lessons. I also studied ballet, which my mother said was a Russian tradition. I really loved my music. My dream was to go to Julliard."

"What changed your mind?" Robin asked.

"Well, I did attend their Pre-College Division until I was fifteen. I played the violin in the Pre-College Chamber Orchestra until I was fifteen, then in the Pre-College Symphony for one year. It was an amazing experience."

"So, why did you leave?" Lainey asked.

"Well, the summer that I was fifteen my parents sent me to a summer camp to be a counselor. They were really big on me taking on leadership roles. The camp was for under privileged children, and I really loved it. While I was there, one of our campers fell into the lake. He couldn't swim and when we found him, he was starting to drown. I jumped in a pulled him out and gave him CPR. When the medics arrived they told me what a great job I had done and that if I hadn't found him he would have died. I had never felt so alive in my life. I was finally able to understand why my parents were doctors. That was the day I decided I had to be a doctor, and I knew I wanted to go into pediatrics."

"Wow, that's an amazing story," Elizabeth said.

"I always knew there was a great story behind you," Nadine said.

Aly smiled. She looked over to Paige, "What about you Paige? How did you wind up out in Port Charles from Montana?"

Paige looked at them, not quite sure where to start. "I grew up in Kalispell, in the northwest corner of the state. I went to school. I was in the high school band, concert choir and in the drama club. My dream was to work in the music field too, kind of like you, Aly. I wanted to write and sing music. That was the first love of my life. I loved writing poems, and then I started writing music. My parents gave my brother, sister and I whatever we wanted, not that we were spoiled but we had plenty of love and family always around. I have an older brother and a younger sister."

"What did you do in Montana?" Elizabeth asked.

"I worked full time at a place called Montana Expressions. After college, I landed a job doing interior design work. It was a part time job that turned into a full time one. The boss thought I was doing well and gave me more responsibility, and pretty soon that became my life. When I wasn't at my job, I was helping my parents on the farm with the horses."

"That's a pretty cool job," Nadine said. "Is that something you'd want to do out here? Or would you like to try something else?"

Paige laughed. "I would love to try my hand at something new. I wouldn't mind doing interior design work again, but if there's something else out there, I want to do it. I would love to be a singer, that is my ultimate dream."

"Maybe you should come and work at the hospital," Lainey said with a smile. "Maybe cheer up some of the patients. You already know a good part of the staff." They all laughed.

"So what brought you to Port Charles?" Kelly asked.

"About a month ago, my mom was telling me about her cousin and how they were always having adventures and getting into trouble when they were younger. They were together all the time. If you looked for one of them, you'd find them both. My mom, Ann, mentioned that we had relatives living in Port Charles and Pine Valley. She knew that her other cousins used to live in Pine Valley, but wasn't positive if they were still there. She thought her cousin was still in Port Charles. I didn't know one place from the other and figured that if Port Charles was in New York, it had to be the place I needed to go. Especially if I wanted to pursue music. Mom was the adventurous type and instilled that in me. I guess it was about time that it came out. I got the itch and decided to move across the country to New York, and here I am."

"What a story," Aly said. "If you don't mind me asking, did your mom give you a name or address to go on?"

"Yes she did," Paige said. "My mom said that they used to call her and her cousin the Ann twins, because my mom was Ann and her cousin was Anna. I believe my mom's cousin is Anna Devane."

Robin's eyes got wide. "What did you say?" Robin couldn't believe what she just heard. "Did you just say Anna Devane?"

"Yes I did. Why?" Paige was now curious. The rest of the girls sat in amazement.

"That's my mother," Robin said. "She still pops into town every now and then. I can't believe it."

"I guess your mom never told you about our family, did she?"

"She mentioned that she had a cousin named Ann and they used to be pretty close, but other than that, she really didn't go into many details. I think she's been on too many missions and adventures to tell me about that." Robin looked at the girls and then back at Paige. "This is so cool." She got up and gave Paige a hug.

"Tell me about it. I didn't think it was going to be this easy, to find someone in my family. I thought it would take weeks or months."

"Well now that explains how we connected at Kelly's a couple of days ago, how comfortable and easy it was to talk together," Robin said.

"It sure does," Paige said. All the girls were excited and started asking all sorts of questions at once.

"How are your mom and Anna connected then?" Lainey asked.

"My grandmother, Stephanie and Anna's dad Thomas were brother and sister. They lived close to each other, and my mom and Anna were inseparable. They did everything together. One year, they went on vacation, and that's how my mom and dad met. After that, Anna started going on her adventures. My mom even mentioned a couple of the adventures that Anna told her about, like the Aztec adventure with Sean Donely and Asian Quarter. My mom said she felt bad for you, Robin, because Anna wasn't around like my mom was."

"But it doesn't change my love for her. She is still my mother," Robin said.

"Of course not. I still love my parents and family. Family means everything to me, and my friends. I love them with all my heart. Mom told me that Anna got to meet Eli Love."

"Oh yeah, she did," Robin said. "Boy was that funny." She smiled. "I'll tell you about it one of these days."

"When did Zoey come into the picture?" Aly asked.

"I always wanted to have a baby but I never found the right guy, and I wasn't about to settle on just anyone. I've had my share of experiences. So I went a more non-traditional route and decided to adopt. I saw the cutest little girl in the world and did the paperwork and red tape, and finally got her. She was two months old when I got her, and I named her Zoey, which means Life in Greek. That's what she was to me, a life gift. That was over five years ago. She is the most amazing little girl, and she's growing up too fast."

"Yes they do," Elizabeth said. "I have two little boys. Cameron is such a little man in a boy's body, and Jake is the cutest little boy. You'll have to meet them sometime."

"I would love to," Paige said. She felt more comfortable and happy with the girls with each passing minute. She was so happy that she came to the Girls Night In. Finally, she was starting to become settled in her new life.

After some more small chit chat and a refresh on drinks and snacks, Nadine asked a big question.

"Aly, is it weird for you to be so close with Nikolas when you're dating Lucky?" she asked.

"You know, I've never really thought about it. I guess because I've never thought of Nik as anything more than a brother. I mean, I realize that I have a brother, but when I met Nik, I didn't know that yet. And he's so supportive of Lucky and I. It's never been weird. I'll tell you what is weird, and that is talking about Lucky in front of you, Elizabeth," Aly said as she turned her attention to her friend.

"We've been through this a million times, Aly. I'm glad you and Lucky have each other. I'll be honest, a part of me will always love Lucky, and until you came to town, in my mind there was never anyone good enough for him. But you are, and you are my friend, and I love you, too. You helped me realize that I needed to fight to be with Jason, and I am so grateful to you for opening my eyes to that," Elizabeth explained.

"You are such a good friend to say that, it takes a lot of maturity on your part to be okay with the situation," Aly said.

"You know, it's not weird for Elizabeth and I to talk about Jason, and he's my ex. You're right, it is maturity but also it's a part of love. Love that we have for our ex's and love that we have for each other as friends," Robin said. The girls all smiled at each other.

Aly proposed another toast, "To friends, and love," she said. They all joined her.

"Ok, I think it's time for a game of Two Truths and a Lie," Lainey announced.

"I don't know that game," Paige said.

"Me either," Aly added.

"The game is you have to tell three facts about yourself, two that are true and one that is a lie, and the rest of us have to figure out which one is the lie," Lainey explained.

"Ok, sounds interesting, who is going first?" Aly asked.

"I think our hostess should," Kelly grinned.

"Ok. Let me think for a second."

She thought for a few minutes. There were so many things she could tell them.

"Ok, I'm ready. Here are my facts. Number one, I've never been to or had a slumber party before, number two, I have dual citizenship in both Russia and here, and number three, I can fluently speak six languages, not including English."

"Your lie has to be that you've never had a slumber party," Nadine said.

"Actually that's the truth," Aly said, a hint of sadness in her voice.

"Wow. Never?" Paige asked.

"Nope, never. Are you all starting to understand why I so desperately wanted to create a 'normal' life for myself when I moved here?" Aly asked.

"I definitely get it. You are trying to have experiences that most people have in their lives that you did not. It's perfectly understandable," Lainey said. All the other girls agreed with her.

"Well, if that's not your lie then speaking six languages has to be. I mean I realize you are a genius but that's just crazy," Nadine said in disbelief.

"That's a truth too," Aly said.

"That is crazy, Aly," Elizabeth teased.

"I had an obsession with learning languages when I was a kid. I didn't have anything else to do," Aly said with a giggle.

"So what are they?" Paige asked.

"Russian, obviously, French, German, Spanish, and American Sign Language," Aly listed.

"That's only five. What's the sixth one?" Robin asked.

"Spinelli," Aly said in all seriousness.

Everyone started laughing hysterically.

Paige was confused, "Isn't that your brother's name?"

"Yes, it is, and when you have a conversation with him, you'll totally understand why we are laughing," Aly explained and smiled. "He has his own interesting language."

"How do you have a conversation with him?" Robin asked.

"It's funny because he doesn't talk like that when he's around me. It's a defense mechanism for him. When it's just the two of us, he lets his guard down and just talks. We have really connected," Aly said.

The girls finished their game and had many more laughs. It was pretty late, and Aly thought it was best that they all turn in for the night.

"Breakfast will be served at 8 a.m. in the dining room. If you find that you need anything, please come to my room, and I'll be happy to help. Sleep well, my friends," Aly said.

Everyone said goodnight and went to their rooms. Aly was happy with how the evening turned out. She laid in bed thinking about how truly blessed she was to have found such amazing friends.

The ladies and Zoey all arrived to the dining room for breakfast right on time. Something smelled wonderful.

"Good morning ladies," Aly said as she brought in a platter full of food.

"This looks fantastic," Paige said, as she and Zoey sat down.

"Well thank you. Cooking is something I've always loved to do," Aly said.

"You made all of this?" Nadine asked as they all stared at pancakes, waffles, hash browns, sausage, and scrambled eggs.

"I did. Don't act so surprised. I may have grown up with servants around all the time, but my mother did take the time to domesticate me," Aly smiled. They all laughed and enjoyed their breakfast. It was the perfect end to a successful Girls Night In.


	16. Dreaming With A Broken Heart

Chapter 16 - Dreaming With A Broken Heart

**Chapter 16 - Dreaming With A Broken Heart**

It was Monday morning. Aly was working in her office at General Hospital, trying to get her patient's paperwork completed, but she was having trouble concentrating. She kept worrying about Nik. He was drifting further into his hallucinations and losing touch with reality. He had fun with the guys on the night of the slumber party, and Aly hoped that it would give him a new outlook on life and start him on the path to come back to them, make him want to live again.

She was starting to doubt that she could convince him to have the surgery, but she refused to give up on him. He was that important to her, and she loved him like a brother. 'There has to be a way that I could save him and make him realize what he is doing, and that he needs to live,' she thought. 'I don't give up so easily on the people I love when they are suffering. He needs to live not only for himself, but for Spencer and his family.'

Even though Aly only met Emily on the night of the Black & White Ball, she seemed perfectly suited for Nik; they were a modern day fairytale. It was too bad that they didn't have more time to get to know each other. Nik went so far as to compare her to Emily once or twice, which Aly took as a big compliment, since she knew Emily meant the entire world to him. Sometimes life is cruel. But Aly believed that Emily would want Nik to have the surgery and live, because that's what she would want if anything like this had happened to Lucky, and Aly herself wasn't around to help. Nik still has so much to live for, and Spencer needs to grow up knowing his father. Spencer would never understand Nik's reasons for doing this no matter how old he got.

She forced herself to look at her patient's file again and began writing the diagnosis on the little boy. Daniel was about Spencer's age, and his father had just died. All Daniel wanted was his father. It was heartbreaking. She felt such sadness for the little boy who will never know his father, and she started to compare Daniel and his father to Spencer and Nik's situation. She knew there was only one way to deal with these thoughts, and that road was going to lead her to Wyndemere. She had to talk to him again and make him listen. She had to get through to him. She grabbed her coat and walked out of her office, and almost walked straight into Paige and Zoey.

"Hi you two. What brings you up here?" Aly asked.

"We were just looking around the hospital, checking things out and wanted to see where your office was; and to thank you for being such a great hostess the other night. We had a great time."

"We sure did," Zoey said. She had a big smile on her face. Aly kneeled down, and Zoey gave her the biggest hug in the world. 'Boy do I need that,' Aly thought.

"I was on my way out for a little while. I should be back here in a couple of hours. I'll give you a call when I get back to my office."

"Sounds goods," Paige said. "We're going to head back home and get a few things done. I'll talk to you later, Aly."

"Bye Zoey," Aly said. She continued over to the nurses' station where she saw Nadine talking with Robin. "Nadine, I need to run a few errands. If anything comes up and you need me, please call my cell phone. I won't be too long."

"No problem, Aly. We have it under control. See you when you get back," Nadine said. After Aly walked off, Nadine turned to Robin to get some additional instructions on the next patient.

Aly went to her car and started on her journey to Wyndemere.

Over at Wyndemere, Nikolas was helping Spencer get ready to spend a few hours with Bobbie and Lesley. He was very fortunate to have both of them come up to help him today. He knows how much they both love being with Spencer. After breakfast and a little alone time with him, they went up to the playroom. Lesley and Bobbie were very happy to see them.

"Hi Nikolas, hi Spencer," Bobbie said. "How is this little guy doing today?" she asked Spencer as he gave her a hug.

"Good," he said with a big grin on his face. He looked up at Nikolas with all the love that a little boy has for his father.

"Good morning, Spencer. You look so handsome today. Your daddy did a good job," Lesley said. Nikolas smiled at her. Both of them were so important to him. Spencer also gave Lesley a hug.

"I'll be back up in a couple of hours. Enjoy your time with him. Alfred is downstairs as usual if you need anything."

"What should we do today?" he heard Bobbie say to Spencer as he left his son in the care of the women.

Nikolas made his way downstairs. He grabbed a bottle of water from the kitchen. "Alfred, I'm going out for a walk around the grounds. I'll be back shortly. If you need me, I have my cell phone with me."

"Take your time, Mr. Cassadine. See you soon," Alfred replied.

He stepped outside for a walk. He didn't have a particular destination, he just wanted to get out, take in the scenery and think. He wandered around and stopped at the stables. He went inside and sat down. He remembered the last time he was happy there. His mother had fallen back into her catatonic state after remarrying Luke for their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary in November of 2006. Nikolas realized life was too precious, and he didn't want to lose the great love of his life. This was where he professed his undying love to Emily. It made him smile, but it also made him sad, because he can never get that time back. If he knew then what he did now, he would have set his plan in motion earlier to marry her again.

They talked about all the plans they were going to do in the future. He had no idea that those plans would end up discarded on the ballroom floor of Wyndemere on the night of the Ball, as Emily did. Diego cut that time short, all in the name of revenge. Jason killed Diego's father, so he decided to take away Jason's sister. Ever since then, everyone who has loved Emily, Leticia or Georgie, have suffered. It was all taken away from him in the blink of an eye. 'Life isn't fair,' he thought. While he drank some water, he debated on taking two more pills from the bottle he had in his pocket and started to zone out.

"Nikolas, don't take them. Why do you think you need them?" she said. He looked up and saw Emily before him once again. She was in her black dress, blue shawl, tan sandals and her hair was down and curly, just the way he loved it. She looked just the way she did the day he professed his love for her.

He looked at her again and smiled. He avoided her question for the moment. "Do you remember the day we got locked up in here a couple years ago?"

"Yes, I do, the day we got back together," she smiled. "I remember the picnic basket that we found. It was filled with all my favorite foods. I asked you how you knew about the crème Brule that was in there before I took it out."

"I told you that I saw it in the basket. You had such a surprised look on your face. I saw an opportunity, and I wanted to spend our second anniversary together, so I asked Alfred to set it up."

She laughed. "And you said that you didn't want to ask me about spending it together."

"I was afraid you would say no," Nikolas said. "After everything that I had put you through, you had no reason to trust me, or even forgive me. So I took a different approach."

"Nikolas, real love doesn't need perfection. It needs trust and forgiveness. I forgave you for that a long time ago. You should know that by now."

"I do. I felt so strongly about you back then. I couldn't go through the rest of my life pretending that we were only friends. I love you now as much, or even more than I did on that day."

"And I love you, too." It made her smile to remember. She sat down next to him and got serious. She addressed her earlier question to him. "You have to stop this madness. Did Dr. Devlin tell you what the side effects of the pills are? Aren't they illegal? You shouldn't be taking them. You're playing with fire, Nikolas, and you're going to get hurt. I don't want to see that happen to you." She reached up and touched his face, and then she touched his hair.

He needed her touch so much. He knew he could never be without her. "No, he didn't mention any of the side effects. I was told that if I was caught with them, I couldn't say where I got them from."

"Doesn't that tell you something? He probably doesn't even know what the side effects are. For all purposes, I was a doctor. I would never give medicine to any of my patients if I didn't know what the side effects would be. That's part of being a good doctor. I know you want to keep me around as long as you can, but this isn't going to last forever. It's time to start facing reality. You need to have the surgery, live for Spencer and everyone that loves you."

"I don't want to lose you. You've been a huge part of my life for so long, and I can't give you up. If Dr. Devlin says that these pills are going to keep you around indefinitely..."

"But it's not going to improve the situation, and it might make it worse," Emily added.

He looked at her with all the determination and stubbornness that came from being a Cassadine. "I'm going to keep taking them so you'll stay. That's the only choice I have right now. I'm not going to lose you." He hugged and kissed her.

"You will always carry the love that we share with you for as long as you live. That will never change. But now is not your time. You still have so much to live for. We have memories that will last you a lifetime, but you can't give up your life just to be with me. I won't be that selfish and ask you to do that, because that isn't right or fair to you. Spencer deserves to grow up with one of us, and since I can't be there, it's up to you. Someone needs to protect him from your grandmother as well."

"I've reviewed and changed my will, and Lesley will be taking care of Spencer. She will take all measures that she has to in order to keep Spencer away from Helena. Maybe he'll be able to forgive me and understand why I did this someday."

He looked at her with tears in his eyes and continued. "When you died that night, my life felt so empty. Nothing else mattered, and all I wanted was to have you back. I woke up the morning of your funeral. I felt like I was dreaming with a broken heart. One day you were here and all was perfect in our world, and the next, you were gone. I wasn't ready to say goodbye to you, and I wanted to have a chance to be with you one more time. Then you appeared after your funeral, and I had no idea what to think. I wasn't sure if you were really there, and then you were gone again. It didn't make sense to me. I was so happy that you were back in my life, but I didn't completely understand it. Now that you're here, I don't want it to end."

"I can understand that. If the situation was reversed, I wouldn't want you to leave either. But this isn't healthy for you, or anyone around you. This is a time bomb waiting to go off in your brain. I don't want to see you take that chance. Do you think this has anything to do with the drug that Jerry injected you with?" Emily asked.

"Robin couldn't confirm or deny it either way, so I don't really know. They gave me the antidote after I was injected, and I was under the impression that it completely took care of the poison. There's no way to tell, I guess."

"Maybe you should talk to Robin again and have her do another test, just to be sure. I would feel better if you did that."

"I'll think about it," Nikolas said. He looked at her lovingly. "You still mean a lot to me."

"And you mean just as much to me. But I'm not meant to stay here forever. I'm here to show you that you need to have the surgery and move on and live your life. You have to learn how to live, maybe fall in love and be happy again. It won't be easy, but this is the natural progression of life. People come into our lives and no matter how long they've been on this Earth with us, they are taken away from us all too soon," Emily said.

She looked at him with sadness in her eyes. "Do you think it was easy for me to go on after my father died? I blame his death on the hostage crisis, the shooting, all of it on James Craig or should we say Jerry Jacks. He put so many people's lives in danger for his own means. I missed Alan every single day, so much -- and you know that -- he was a good father. I don't want you to do that to Spencer. Courtney was his mother, and she died right after he was born, so he didn't know her at all. It's so sad because he will never know his mother. She never even got to hold him. He is fortunate enough to still have you in his life. Then he had us. Even though he isn't my biological son, I love him as much as any woman could love a son. A child should grow up with both parents, but if that can't be, then at least one of his parents. It would be horrible if he lost you at this young age. He would never understand and would miss you every day of his life. He may even wonder what made his daddy choose death and not be with him. He will always blame himself and maybe think that it was something he did when he was a young boy."

"Spencer will be ok. He'll have everyone around that still loves him completely."

"But he wouldn't have his father, the one man in his life that should be his constant. You grew up thinking your Uncle Stefan was your father, only to find out it was really Stavros. But at least you had a father figure in your life. Someone that was guiding you. It must have been horrible not having your mother around growing up, and even when you came to town, she didn't want to have you in her life. Think about how awful that made you feel. If you give up now, Spencer won't have that in his life and will always wonder, 'why don't I have that? What did I do wrong?'" Emily said.

"I'll make sure that Lesley and Bobbie tell him stories about me, about us and the love we shared, and how much we loved him. I know losing Alan was horrible on you. The whole hostage crisis was awful. I thought I was going to lose you, Robin, Lulu, everyone in there that I cared about and loved. I wouldn't have been able to handle it," Nikolas said.

"Exactly. I don't think that your family would be able to handle losing you either. You are important to them. Do you think Lucky, Lulu, Alexis, Sam or the girls would agree with what you're doing - dying for love - and not living to be with them? Everyone around you wants to keep you here with them. They love you as much as I do. But you can't be with me. It's not the right time. We'll always be in each other's hearts."

"I'm not ready to give you up. It would be like losing a huge part of me, and I wouldn't be able to deal with it. Lucky would probably understand. You were best friends with him. He knows how much you mean to me."

"I don't agree," she said. "He would be upset. You two are finally close. Don't make him go through the pain of losing his brother, he already lost his mother. And the same thing with Lulu. Your poor sister has gone through enough in her life already, with the bone marrow transplant that brought you to Port Charles, to losing your mom, to her dad taking off every few months and married to Tracy. Don't do this to them. Neither one of them can go through another family tragedy."

"I love them. I would never want anything to happen to either of them," Nikolas said.

"They don't want to lose you, Nikolas. Trust me on that one. Look at how hard Alexis is fighting to get you to have the surgery. She loves you, and knows what's best for you. You need to face the facts. Sam and the girls need you as well. They all do. I'll always be a part of your mind and in your memories, but memories and visions aren't the real part of life, the part that you need to live for. We'll always have each other." She gave him a hug and a kiss. "This is our illusion, our gift for now. It's a chance to say everything that we ever wanted to say to each other before it was all taken away from us. Let's not waste this chance. Please think about having the surgery. You can't come with me yet. You have so many wonderful things ahead of you in your life, and my wish for you is for you to be able to live, enjoy them and be happy."

"I will think about it, Emily. You will always be my one true love." They kissed again.

"I love you," and she walked out of the stables. He was left alone with his thoughts once again.

He got up and started walking back to the house. He was getting lightheaded and felt a blackout coming on. He stopped where he was, tried to steady himself. He lost his balance, fell over and lost consciousness.

Back at the house, Aly arrived and Alfred opened the door. "Hello, Miss Russell. Please come in."

"Thank you, Alfred. Is Nik at home?"

"He's out taking a walk around the grounds. Would you like me to call him on his cell phone?" Alfred asked.

"Oh, no, that won't be necessary. If you don't mind, I'll take walk and try to find him?"

"Not at all. If you need anything, give a call. Here is the house number." He told her the number, and she immediately saved it into her cell phone. She took off and started walking.

She never got to walk around the grounds, and she thought it was one of the most beautiful places she had ever seen. She was so lost in her thoughts that she didn't even realize she was coming up on Nik.

All at once, her eyes focused and she saw Nik. She ran over to him. "Nik, wake up," Aly screamed at him. "Come on, don't do this to me." She got angry, frustrated and scared all in the same moment. She tried anything she could to wake him up. She picked up her cell and dialed the house. "Alfred, Nik collapsed out here near the stables. I'm trying to wake him up and bring him back in. Please have something for him to eat and drink when we get back. Don't call 911. If we need it, I'll call."

"Will do, Miss Russell," he said through the phone line.

Finally, after another minute or two, he started to come around. "What happened? Aly, is that you?"

"Yes, Nik, it is. You're out on the grounds. Do you remember what happened?"

"I remember talking to Emily a little while ago in the stables. Then we finished, and I started walking towards the house. Next thing I know, you woke me up."

"Another blackout," she said as she checked to make sure he was ok before she helped him get up. They walked towards the house again. Once inside, they went to the study, where Aly helped him to the couch and got him something to drink, courtesy of Alfred.

"Tell me what happened."

"I felt like taking a walk around the grounds. I wound up at the stables and Emily and I reminisced about the day I professed my love to her. We talked about a lot of things, the surgery and how I should live for Spencer and everyone else. Then she left. As I was making my way back to the house, I felt a blackout coming on. I tried to get my balance, and I passed out. Next thing I knew, you were there with me."

"That's part of the reason I came to see you today. One of my patients made me think of you, and I had to come and visit. I was working on his paperwork today and felt the need to share part of his story with you." She sat down next to him on the sofa, and they talked some more.

"Sure," Nikolas said. "Please tell me."

"There's a little boy, Daniel, who has been seeing Lainey, and I have been sitting in on their sessions. He is about Spencer's age and his father, the only parent he's ever known, just died. This little boy is heartbroken. He cries out to his father but there is no answer." She looked at him with such concern and sisterly love. "You can't possibly want that for your son. If you think Spencer is too young to understand, you are sadly mistaken."

"Emily said almost the same exact thing. She said that Courtney never got to even hold our son because she died right away. Emily said she loves Spencer as much as any woman could ever love a son, and that a child should grow up with both parents, but if not both, then at least one of them. She said that since she and Courtney can't be here, it was up to me. It's not my time to be with her yet."

"Sounds like she is on the right track. She was a very intelligent woman. I never knew Courtney, but from what I understand, Spencer was her miracle. She never got the chance to experience the joy he has brought to the world. You have, and now you have the chance to be a miracle. Be that for Spencer and the rest of your family. We want you here with us," Aly said.

"I love my family; they mean the world to me, but so does Emily."

"I realize you want to be with her, but she isn't the only thing you have to live for. Things happen for a reason. I think you need to stick around to see what that reason is. Courtney's death had a reason, to bring you back to Emily, to become a family and to love Spencer. I believe Emily's death has to have a reason too. Maybe you won't ever find another love like Emily, and maybe you'll never find anything better. But that's okay because maybe you'll find something different that will fulfill your life and bring you happiness. You need to live for love, not die for it. Emily will always be with you and someday when it's truly your time to go, you will be with her again. You have to believe that and live for that."

Deep down, Nikolas knew that Aly was right, that everyone was, but his stubbornness and love for Emily was going to win out. "She has been the love of my life for so long, Aly, and I can't see past living without her for one day. That would be pain and torture for me. I couldn't do it."

"But you will have your family and friends to help you through this. I want you to stay here with me. You have grown to become such a good and trusted friend to me, and I don't want to lose you."

"You are a good friend to me as well. I wouldn't be able to do any of this without you. You are the only friend that knows I can still see Emily. I trust you completely. I went to see Monica not too long ago, and told her about my visions of Emily, due to the tumor. She wishes she could have the gift I do, and be able to see Alan and Emily one more time. You remind me so much of Emily that sometimes it's scary and unnerving," he said and gave her one of his fabulous smiles.

She smiled back. "Thank you for the compliment, but why is it unnerving?"

"Once in a while, something you do or say is exactly what Emily would do or say, and it takes me back to whatever her and I were doing at that time. You are caring and sweet, compassionate and tough, loving and generous. I could swear that sometimes she is living through you."

"That is really so sweet. I never got the chance to really get to know Emily, and just to be compared to her in your eyes, it's pretty amazing. I've heard so much about her from you and the girls, I feel as if I know her very well." She looked at him, not sure if she should bring this up, but thought, why not.

"What's wrong, Aly? You have this strange look on your face."

"I was thinking about something that one of the girls said the night at Fox Hollow. Someone asked if I thought it was weird that you and I have such a close relationship, and that I'm dating your brother. Do you think it's strange?" Aly asked.

"No, I don't think so. From the first minute we met, and the first time we went to Metro Court for dinner, we started to become close. Even before you knew you had a brother, and before you and Lucky started dating. We worked on it and built it up; it just came natural to us. When Lucky and Elizabeth were together, I was the best of friends with Elizabeth, we were close, too. There are some people that say men and women can't be platonic friends, but I know they are wrong. We have a special friendship, a closeness that few people understand."

"Yes, we do have that kind of friendship, and it is so special to me, just like you are. You are one of my best friends, and I love you like a brother. You mean a lot to me, too." She gave him a hug, and they both smiled. Before she knew about Spinelli being her brother, she got to know Nik. They connected the first time they talked. She will never forget that.

Aly looked at Nik and became very concerned. He didn't look like himself and that worried her more than ever. "Nik, is everything ok? You don't seem like yourself. Something is wrong. Please talk to me, tell me what's wrong."

He looked at her, and he decided he couldn't hide the truth from Aly. She knew something was wrong, much like Emily knew when something was bothering him. He took out the bottle of pills from his pocket and put them on the table in front of her.

Aly picked them up and looked at him. "What exactly are these?" It was just a plain bottle with the ingredients of the pills on it. No doctor's name or the name of the drug. That alarmed Aly right away.

"Something that I got that will prolong my condition and keep Emily here with me."

She read the bottle. "Do you know what these could do to you? I remember reading something about this type of drug. I think they are illegal. Where did you get these?"

"A doctor prescribed them for me. He said that I would be able to keep Emily here with me indefinitely. It wouldn't help my condition, but it would prolong my visions and keep the tumor from getting worse."

"Nik, you shouldn't be taking these. They are too strong and can alter your mood swings, encourage more blackouts, and are dangerous. I only recognize one or two of the ingredients, but I know enough that they shouldn't be used by anyone. From what I've read, they can cause your hallucinations to become progressively worse and distorted, so that what you originally remember is nothing but a distant memory. I don't want that to happen to you. You need to stop taking them. When was the last time that you took them?"

"Last night."

"Good, let's just see how today goes without the medicine," Aly said.

He started to protest and get a little upset. "Emily has been telling me to stop taking them, that my hallucinations and memories of her will gradually get worse, and there will be madness. I'll lose control. I don't want that to happen, but I don't want to lose her either."

"I know that, but this is too dangerous for you." She started to calm him down. "You were there for me through my pill addiction, now let me help you. Let's take this step together. Don't take them for one day, and see if Emily comes back and how she appears to you. You don't need to be hooked on pills to keep her here. You should be able to keep her in your heart, in your dreams and carry all the good memories with you."

"I'll agree to make it through today without the pills. Just one day. I know that it's what Emily would want me to do. Would you mind if I called you in the morning to talk about how I did today?"

She smiled at him to encourage him. "You can call me anytime, day or night. I would love it. I don't need to be at GH until the afternoon so that will work out perfectly. And if you just need to talk, please call me. I'm here for you."

"Thank you, Aly. I appreciate it. I'll talk to you in the morning." They got up. She picked up the bottle of pills, and they headed out of the study and to the front door. He gave her a hug. "Talk to you later."

"Bye," Aly said. As soon as she got back to the car, she took out the bottle of pills. She needed to find out exactly what they were and where Nik had gotten them. And exactly what kind of doctor would give a patient a drug like this.

The rest of the day was quiet for Nikolas. He went upstairs, and spent a few hours with Spencer, Lesley and Bobbie. They played games and talked while Spencer was napping.

Aly had a restless afternoon at work. She did some research on the pills, and she discovered even more side effects than anyone could have imagined. She was determined to find out where he got them from. She was at a loss where to start but would give it more thought later. After work, she went home and started dinner.

Nik called. "Hey, Aly. I wanted to check in. I did well during the day, no episodes but also no Emily."

"Maybe she'll appear to you when you least expect it. Just get some rest tonight. You did wonderful today. I'll see you in the morning."

"Maybe. I'll see you tomorrow. Thanks for everything, Aly. Talk to you tomorrow," Nikolas said and he hung up.

A few hours later, he got ready to sleep. Another night without Emily. She should be there with him as his wife, but every time he wakes up, she's gone and he feels like it's all a dream. He gets out of bed in the morning and can barely breathe without her. He knows he's not ready to let go and give up on her, but deep down in his heart, he knows he needs to say goodbye to her.

He finally lay down to get some rest. His mind was racing with all these thoughts about Emily, Aly, Spencer and his family. He tried to make sense of it, but he kept going around in circles. He turned over and finally fell asleep.

He dreamed that he was sitting on the piers, just thinking. The sun was shining, and it was warm out. He was happy. He didn't have a care in the world. Within a few minutes, the sun disappeared, and the sky turned gray. He heard someone coming up behind him, and he turned to see Emily. She had a red shirt and her blue jeans on, sneakers and her hair was in a pony tail.

She sat down next to him and gave him a kiss. "Hello, Nikolas. You seem sad."

"Everything in my world was perfect and happy because you were in it. Then it became dark, full of shadows. You went away. You were taken from us too soon."

"I know, it's not fair. I would like nothing more than to be with you and Spencer, and be the family we always wanted. But I can't be. You need to carry on, and be Spencer's family. He needs to have his father with him. It's important for a son to grow up with one of his parents."

"Even though I had a good life growing up on the island, having almost anything that a boy could have wanted, it wasn't the same without my mother around. I wished that she wanted me in her life. And Uncle Stefan, I thought he was my dad for a long time. He was a good role model and father. He always looked out for me and cared about me. But Stavros didn't come forward for a long time."

"But Nikolas, listen to me." She looked him straight in the eye. "You have to stop this. What you are doing now is hurting yourself. It's not helping anyone. You need put an end to this brain tumor. You will always have me in your heart, and I'll never leave or die as long as you keep my memory alive. You can't abandon Spencer at this young age. He will never understand what you are doing or why you did this. He'll always be mad at you and wonder why his daddy didn't want to be with him, or didn't want him. Please don't disappear from his life, like your father did. Do you remember how you felt when Laura didn't want to be in your life? That's was awful, wasn't it?"

"Yes it was. As I was growing up, I held it against her. When I got to Port Charles and found out that I had a sister, I felt it in my heart to help Lulu. It was time to make amends with my mother. I always wondered why she never wanted me or wanted to be in my life."

"You were very fortunate, though. You had a chance to make peace with your father, but also your mother and you got to know them. If you go through with this – choosing not to have the surgery – and dying for love, Spencer will never have the joy of learning about life from his dad. You can pass on so many things to him, from the Cassadine Empire to something as simple as going to the stables and learning how to ride a horse. You won't be there for any of it. It's bad enough that neither Courtney nor I can be there, but you have a chance to be here, be a hero in his young life, and make a difference to him. You can be his miracle. You have to show him that you don't have to die for love. You can live for it. He can learn about life from you, and your example and experience. You have so much yet to offer that little boy. It's not your time yet. You have so much more to live for."

"But how can I do that without you? I am so afraid to live without you," Nikolas asked, with so much sadness in his eyes. "Your visits are getting to be less and less, and I've come to expect it from the drug. I wanted to keep you here with me. But if I choose to have the surgery, I don't know how to go on without you. You have been a pillar of strength in my life for so long. Where do I go from here?"

"You have so many friends. Aly, you can trust her; she has become one of your best friends. I wish I could have gotten to know her better. I can tell she's good for you, and you have a great friendship. Lulu and Lucky, Elizabeth, Cam, Jake – your family, they love you and don't want to see you throw the rest of your life away."

Emily took a breath and continued talking. "Luke and your mom – maybe someday she may come out of her catatonic state again, and you've patched things up with Luke. Alexis, Sam, Molly and Kristina – your aunt and cousins, you'll never see the girls grow up. You still have so much to teach Sam by your example of how to love, and hopefully she can find that some day. Alexis, she admires you so much and loves you too. But most of all, Spencer. He can't live his life without his father. You have to take care of this tumor, get it taken out, and live your life again. I know you can do it. I will be in your mind and heart every step of the way." She looked at him and kissed him softly and gently.

After they kissed, the sun came back out, and the gray skies cleared. He felt as if he finally knew and understood what he needed to do. "Emily, I will always love you. You mean the world to me. I kept pushing it off and avoiding it until now. I can't abandon Spencer. I don't want him to go through his life without having his father around. I will do this for you. Even though I won't be able to talk to you like this, or hold or kiss you any more after I have the surgery, I will do it."

She smiled at him, proud of the tough choice that he just made. "Good decision, my Sweet Prince. You can still talk to me and see me in your dreams. I'll always be there. I noticed that you didn't take the pills today. You can't live your life dependent on pills, no matter how much you want me around. I will miss you, but I will never be far from your thoughts. I'll be here whenever you need me. I won't leave you or our time together without saying goodbye. There is still some time left for that. But right now, you need to get some rest and sleep. Keep yourself strong. I will see you tomorrow."

"Goodnight, my angel. Until tomorrow…" With that, Nikolas kissed and hugged her. He drifted back from his dreams at the pier and slept peacefully for the rest of the night.

14


	17. Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye

Chapter 16 - Dreaming With A Broken Heart

**Chapter 17 – Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye**

Over at Fox Hollow, it was a good morning so far. Aly had gotten up early, she was hoping to beat Carter to the kitchen and start cooking breakfast. She liked to cook, but since Carter was always around, she barely ever got the chance to do it. She couldn't wait to get into the kitchen and cook. But when she walked into the kitchen, Carter was nowhere to be found, and instead, Spinelli was near the stove, starting to cook. She stared in disbelief and wonder.

"My dear brother, what are you doing?"

"I wanted to surprise you this morning. Carter had to run an errand so I thought it was time to make breakfast for my Noble Sister." At this point, he had all the ingredients for pancakes out on the counter, along with the eggs, bacon, milk, bread, butter, and orange juice.

Aly could see that this could become a mess. But if Spinelli wanted to do this for her, she would let him. She sat back at the table and watched him in action. He was quite comical and entertaining.

"What would my sister like first this morning? I can do eggs and bacon or sausage, pancakes, waffles, or all of it," he said with a straight face.

"Have you ever cooked before?" she asked him.

He started to laugh. "Not recently. I had some practice when I lived with Grandma in Tennessee but it wasn't a lot. I wanted to do something nice for you. I hope I don't make a mess of things."

"Would you like some help?" She got up to help him.

"If you would like to set the table, I would greatly appreciate it," Spinelli replied to her.

"You got it." Aly walked over to the cabinet, got two plates, some silverware, and a couple of glasses and went over to the table. "Do we have any coffee?"

"I apologize, my dear sister. I haven't gotten around to looking for it. I'm sure Carter must have it somewhere around here."

"No need to apologize. I'll take a look." She looked around in the cabinets. "I found it. Did you want me to make any for you?"

"Yes please. Thank you." She put the coffee grinds in the Mr. Coffee maker and sat down at the table to watch him make breakfast. She was amazed. He was doing a great job, despite not having much cooking experience. It brought a smile to her face. She realized how truly blessed she was to have a brother.

At Wyndemere, Nikolas awoke from his dreams the next morning, completely at peace with himself and his decision. He needed to get things moving, make calls to his family, Aly, and to call Robin and Patrick to let them know what his plans were. After getting Spencer together for breakfast and going up to the playroom for a while, he picked up the phone.

He knew that his first call that morning needed to be to Aly. She is his biggest supporter, and he had to tell her. He dialed her number at Fox Hollow and waited for her to answer.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Aly. It's Nik. How are you doing today?"

"Not bad at all. I'm sitting here waiting for Spinelli – he is in the middle of making breakfast for us. How are you? How was your night?" Aly asked.

"I made it through the night. It was a little difficult, but I did it. Emily appeared, and we talked. I wanted to tell you that I've decided to have the surgery, and I have to call Robin and Patrick to arrange for it."

"Nik, that is amazing. It is the right decision. Spencer needs his dad around, and everyone in your family needs you, too. I know it wasn't an easy decision to come to because of how much you love Emily and want to be with her. But it isn't your time yet."

"I know that now. We had a good conversation, and she finally convinced me that I need to do this, if not for myself, but for her, Spencer and my family. It was as if the fog finally lifted, and I could see clearly. I saw what I have to do. Someday Emily and I will be together again. Until then, I need to stay here and be around for my son, and teach him everything that I can and pass the family business on to him."

"I am really proud of you for doing this. There won't be a minute that you'll be alone. I'll be there, so will Lucky, Lulu, your aunt; everyone that cares about you will be there, including Spencer. We will get you through this, and you will be ok."

"Thank you, Aly. I appreciate it. It wasn't an easy thing to do but it's the right thing for me, and Spencer. I can't let him grow up without knowing his father. I was fortunate, my father was still alive, and even though I didn't really know my mother, I got to know her when I was older. Spencer wouldn't be able to have that. I want him to remember me, and not be some memory told to him by his family members. That isn't fair to me or him. Plus…," he paused, "I promised Emily that I would be here for Spencer, since she can't be."

"Emily would be proud of you. You know she will always love you. She's in your heart, and no matter what happens, you'll always have the love that you two had in your heart and soul. No one can take that away from you."

"You're right. I had to call you and let you know what's going on. Now I need to call Patrick or Robin and let them know what's happening. Thank you for just being there and helping me. I love you, too. I'll update you later on."

"Sounds good, Nik. Thanks. I'll talk to you later. Bye for now," Aly said. She hung up and was amazed. Seems like miracles can still happen. She smiled and thought about Nik and Emily, and what kind of love and connection they have. She hoped that someday she could experience the complete fullness and happiness of what Nik and Emily had.

Nikolas made his next call to Lucky and Lulu, and he told them about his dream and that he's going to consent to the surgery. Both of them couldn't be happier for him, and will stay at his side night and day until he is well enough to come back home.

He picked up the phone once more and called Robin. She was standing at the nurses' station with Patrick, discussing a new patient's file that they were both assigned to. When Robin saw that it was Nikolas' cell phone ringing hers, she picked up. "Hello, Nikolas. How are you? What can I do for you?"

"Would you be able to arrange a surgery for a certain person? I promise not to be any trouble to you or the staff, unlike the last time we tried this and I kicked you during surgery," Nikolas said.

She smiled and motioned to Patrick to hang on for a minute and not talk. "What made you check your mind about the surgery?" Patrick's eyes shot Robin a questioning look.

"I'll explain it to you later. The important thing now is to get the surgery scheduled and to do it. How soon would you be able to arrange it? I would like to have it done sooner rather than later."

"Let me check and I'll give you a call back shortly. How does that sound?"

"Sounds good. Thanks, Robin, for everything. I'll talk to you soon. Bye."

"Bye," Robin said. She hung up and stared dumbfounded at Patrick for a minute. "You won't believe this, but that was Nikolas. He's agreed to have the surgery, as soon as we can schedule it."

"Are you kidding? That's great. Do we need to get Dr. Devlin in on this to consult?" Patrick asked.

"No," Robin said. "We've been working on this together since day one, and I want to keep it that way. Let's see what Thursday or Friday's schedule is. It's Tuesday, so we should be able to get it onto the schedule." They looked and planned, and finally came up with Thursday morning.

While Robin and Patrick were trying to figure out when to schedule the surgery, Nikolas called Lucky, Lulu, Alexis and Sam, in no particular order. He wanted to tell them all at once, so he was going to ask all of them to come by. He didn't want to repeat the story four times.

He called Alexis first.

"Hello?" Alexis was sitting at her desk in the office, chatting away with Diane about the shopping trip they were getting ready to venture out on. Between Nikolas being stubborn, not having the surgery and making Alexis crazy, and Sonny driving Diane around in circles, both of them needed to get away for a few hours.

"Alexis, its Nikolas. Are you free today? I have something that I need to discuss with you at Wyndemere."

Diane could see that Alexis had this worried look on her face. "Is everything ok? You sound upset. I can be there in less than an hour. I don't have my next appointment until two o'clock, which gives me about two hours."

"Everything is ok. If you can get Sam, please bring her, too. I would rather tell you both at the same time."

"I'll bring her, Nikolas. See you shortly," Alexis said and hung up. She turned back to Diane, who was sitting on the opposite side of the desk, flipping through Kate's former magazine, Couture, while she was waiting. "Something with Nikolas has come up. We will have to postpone our shopping until later."

"Your nephew is more important than buying the latest, trendiest handbag or shoes that are ridiculously low on sale price." Diane tried to get Alexis to crack a smile, and when she saw that didn't work, she tried another approach. "We can go tomorrow. Besides, you can always get more shoes, but you can't get another nephew. Just remember that." Diane smiled at her, encouraging her.

Alexis stopped and smiled at her friend. "That is the truth. We'll go out shopping later. We'll have to go on our road trip to Philadelphia again soon… stop in our favorite bar, and bring along our jackets and Litigator of the Year dresses," Alexis said. Both of them laughed. It felt good to laugh. Too many things were getting Alexis down lately, and she needed her friend and confidante now more than ever to keep her sane.

"Give me a call later, and we'll reschedule our outing," Diane said as she got up from her chair. "Guess I'll go and check out what's going on over at Sonny's. Who knows what he's got planned today. Need to see what kind of trouble he's into today."

"One can only imagine. Wait a minute," Alexis said. "I know the real reason you're going over there. You want to see Max."

"Ok, you got me. I really want to see him. I feel like a giddy schoolgirl when I'm around him. He is amazing, so strong and sweet."

"Not only that, but you light up like a Christmas tree whenever you're in the same room together."

Diane started to protest, but Alexis just stopped her in her tracks. "Go and find Max. You need someone in your life. Just be careful, and remember, I got involved with someone in the mob and I regret it. Don't make that same mistake."

"I promise I won't. Besides I know you'll always be there to help and bail me out of any trouble I find." Diane laughed.

"Of course I will be. That's what friends are for. Get going. I need to call Sam. I'll talk to you later," Alexis said, and with that, Diane walked out of the office.

Once Alexis was alone, she started thinking. She had no idea what Nikolas' call was about, probably something about the will, Spencer and maybe his indecision to have the surgery. She wished that he would have it done already and start to live his life again. She missed the old Nikolas. She can only hope for the best. She picked up her office phone and called Sam. After three rings, it went into voice mail.

"Sam, it's your mother. Give me a call back as soon as you get this message. Nikolas would like to see us at Wyndemere as soon as possible." She looked at her watch. She started wondering why Sam wasn't answering her phone. The girl never travels without it. She looked at her watch again, and it suddenly occurred to her – Sam was at GH having a physical therapy session with Dr. Devlin. Alexis didn't care very much for her doctor. 'I think it's over at noon,' Alexis thought. 'I'm sure she'll call back quickly.' She started packing up her bag, filled it with briefs and a deposition that she needed to read this afternoon before the appointment tomorrow morning with her other client. She figured that if she didn't get a chance to come back to the office after meeting with Nikolas, at least she would be prepared to do some reading during the rest of the day.

As Alexis was walking out the door, her cell phone went off. It was Sam. Alexis arranged to pick her up at GH, and they would go to Wyndemere together.

Back at GH, Robin said to Patrick, "I'll call Nikolas back and let him know about having the surgery on Thursday. Since we already have all the pre-op testing done from the last time he was scheduled for the surgery, all we need is for him to arrive and get him prepped for surgery. I'll handle it," Robin said.

"Sounds good," Patrick said. He looked at Robin. "You shouldn't be in the operating room. I don't want to take any chances that Nikolas won't react well to going under and may fight it or kick you, and I wouldn't want anything to happen to you or the baby. I love you too much to put you in that kind of danger."

"You are so sweet sometimes," Robin said, smiling at him. "I love you too, but I need to be in there. You and I are a team, and I want to see it to its conclusion," she said matter-of-factly.

"Fair enough. We'll keep an eye on you and make sure nothing happens. Once you talk to Nikolas, let me know and we'll confirm everything with OR and the staff on call. Would you like to go and pick up something to eat after work tonight? We need a night to just relax and be together. We don't do that anymore."

"Definitely, I'm looking forward to it." Robin was beaming, not only from the pregnancy but also from the attention of the man that she loved.

"Great. Got to run. I'll talk to you later." Patrick gave her a kiss and off he went.

"See you later," Robin said after the kiss. She thought about the turn of events between her and Patrick. She thought they had been over for good, but the night of Georgie's funeral changed everything between them forever. At first she was scared and didn't want Patrick to know because he wasn't ready to be a father, but he is starting to come around, accept it and wants to be a part of his child's life. Robin realized she was very lucky, and she wouldn't want anyone else to be the father of her baby.

Robin went into the lounge and picked up her cell phone to call Nikolas.

Back at Wyndemere, Nikolas took a break from the phone to go and check on Spencer. He didn't get too far. Within minutes, his cell phone rang. It was Robin.

"Hello, Robin." "Hi. I spoke with Patrick, and we found a time slot in our schedule for Thursday morning at 10 am, which means you would have to be here by 8 am. How does that sound?"

"That sounds fine. Do I need to bring anything?" Nikolas asked.

"No, just yourself and whatever you will need while staying here. Do you have any questions?"

"Not at all. Both of you explained everything to me the first time around. I know you'll take good care of me. Thanks to you and Patrick for everything. See you then."

"Ok talk to you soon," Robin said, and she hung up.

Now that he knew when the surgery was, Nikolas needed to call Aly. He called her in her office. He assumed that she would be there by now.

"Hi, this is Dr. Russell," Aly said.

"Aly, it's Nik. I wanted to give you some information. I invited Lulu, Lucky, Sam and Alexis over to tell them, but since you just got to work, I don't want you to turn around and come over here. I have to tell you this myself."

"What is it?" she asked him.

"I spoke to Robin. They were able to fit me into their schedule for this Thursday so I have to be there by 8 am for getting settled in and prepped."

"Good. I know that this is the best thing for you. Spencer needs to have his dad around while he grows up. Just think of all the good things you'll get to see him do and accomplish. I'll be here with you through the whole surgery and recovery. Just try getting rid of any of us," she laughed.

"I promise I won't," he said. "I need to get a couple of things tied up here with the company before everyone arrives. I'll talk to you later."

"Thanks for letting me know. Talk to you soon," Aly said.

Nikolas then called his sister. "Hey, Lulu," he said as she answered.

"Hi, Nikolas, what's wrong?" She was at Kelly's getting something for lunch.

"Nothing. Would you be able to come over to Wyndemere for a little while? I have something to discuss with you. Lucky, Sam and Alexis are also coming by."

"I need to run an errand for Kate. I just started as her new assistant, but I can come over as soon as I finish that, say forty-five minutes?"

"That is perfect. I'll give Lucky a call, too. When did you start working for Kate?" he asked.

"About two weeks ago. Maxie is working for her, too, but Carly suggested to Jax that I would be better suited as an assistant, so Kate hired me and has two assistants. It hasn't been all fun and games," Lulu said.

"I can't imagine that it is, but you'll do great. I'll see you when you get here," Nikolas said.

"See you soon," and Lulu hung up. She was going to see Johnny later on that afternoon, so she called him to confirm their date. After she finished with lunch, she headed over to see Nikolas.

Nikolas made one last call, to Lucky.

"Hey, Nikolas. What's going on?" Lucky asked. He was at the PCPD, flipping through a file folder.

"Would you be able to get over here pretty quickly? I've asked Lulu, Sam and Alexis to come over. I need to speak with all of you at one time."

"I'll be there in about a half hour. Just finishing up some paperwork. See you in a bit," Lucky said.

"See you shortly," Nikolas said. Now that he knew the day and time of the surgery, he needed to let everyone know, once they got there. He was a bit nervous when they started to show up.

Alfred led in Lulu and Lucky, and not even two minutes later, Sam and Alexis walked in.

"Please everyone, sit down." Everyone took their seats. "What I'm about to tell you, will make all of you happy. It took a lot of thinking and convincing, but I am going to have the surgery and get the tumor out."

"That's great," Sam said.

"It's the right thing to do," Alexis said. "What changed your mind?"

"A couple of things. I'm not being fair to Spencer. He should have one of his parents around to share his life with, and teach him things. Since Emily and Courtney aren't here, I'm the only one that's left. I want to see my son grow up and become a strong man, one that I can be proud of, and pass the family empire on to him."

"What else happened?" Lucky asked.

"Emily came to me in a dream last night, and convinced me to have the surgery. I can't abandon all of you, the people that mean the most to me. I need to start living my life, and learn how to move on without Emily. She'll always be the woman I love, and the love we shared will always be carried in my heart."

Lulu got up and gave her brother a hug. "I'm glad you are doing this, Nikolas. For my own selfish reasons, I'm not ready to give you up either. I love you." She kept her arm around him.

"Love you too," Nikolas said. "I wanted all of you over here because I couldn't tell the story four times. Tomorrow, I'm going to make arrangements for Bobbie and Lesley to split time with Spencer when I'm in the hospital. Feel free to come and see Spencer any time you wish. He would like that. The surgery is on Thursday, and I need to be up there early for the 10 am surgery."

"We'll be there with you every step of the way," Sam said. "If you need anything, please don't hesitate to call."

"You have my support," Alexis said.

"As always, mine and Lulu's, too," Lucky said.

"Absolutely," Lulu said and smiled at both of her brothers.

They stayed a little while longer, and then they left. Nikolas had some things he needed to start attending to because Thursday would be here before he knew it.

Lulu went on her date with Johnny. Lucky went back to the station to do some more paperwork. He was going to see Aly later that night. Alexis dropped Sam off back at her apartment, and then she went to her office and waited for the next appointment to arrive.

Nikolas spent the rest of the day with Spencer, and he took Spencer over to the stables to see the horses. He knew Spencer loved horses. He promised Spencer that one day; Spencer will get a horse of a pony to learn how to ride on. He knew that Spencer would love that.

Back at GH, Aly had spent the last two hours working on the bottle of pills that she took from Nik. Even though she recognized two of the ingredients on the bottle, she couldn't quite figure out what they were. But she knew that as soon as she did, she would find whoever was responsible and have them prosecuted. She still felt very protective of Nik. Not only that, but no doctor in their right mind would give a patient any type of medicine like this. It didn't make sense to her.

Aly also knew that once Nik arrived at GH, she would be at his side as much as she could, which didn't leave her time for anything else. It was important for her to be with Nik, to support him, Lucky and Lulu. She felt like they were her family as well.

The rest of the day went off without a hitch. Everyone did their own things. Nikolas got a few things ready. He called Bobbie, told her about the surgery, and asked if Spencer could spend a couple of days with her, then Lesley would take him. She had no objections.

Finally, it was time to go to sleep. Nikolas hoped that he would have a peaceful night's sleep. He fell asleep. He didn't remember having any dreams, just getting some decent sleep.

Wednesday was full of running around, finishing up a last minute work project, and making sure that Spencer was all set for his time with Bobbie and Lesley. Everyone had their instructions, the people that were helping him to run the business while he was gone, also Alfred, Bobbie and Lesley. He needed some time to face the fact that the next time he came back to Wyndemere, Emily wouldn't be following him, and he wouldn't be able to hold or kiss her. He knew this was the right thing to do, but it didn't make it any easier on him.

Finally, it was after dinner and Spencer was going to bed. He came in to give Nikolas a hug and kiss goodnight.

"Goodnight, Daddy. I love you," was all Spencer could say. He gave Nikolas the biggest hug and kiss that he could. He knew he was going to be spending some time with his Grandma Lesley and Bobbie for the next few weeks.

"Goodnight, Spencer. I love you too. I'll see you tomorrow." He gave Spencer a hug and kiss, brought him upstairs and tucked him in.

After he left Spencer's room, Nikolas went and sat on the bed in his and Emily's bedroom. He started taking out some things from his dresser. He took out his suitcase and started packing some things for the hospital. He could have asked Alfred to do it, but he needed something to keep his mind busy. He didn't want to sit around and start thinking, because he knew he might change his mind, and decide to be with Emily instead of Spencer. He didn't want to say goodbye to Emily and being able to see her, but he knew it was the best thing that he could do, and what he needed to do. It's what she wanted him to do, and he wanted to respect her wishes.

He opened one of the drawers and saw Emily's blue sweater. He picked it up, sat down on the bed and held onto it. He started talking to the air, hoping that Emily would appear and he can talk to her again before she left him for good.

"You were right, Emily," he said, closing his eyes. "I can't abandon Spencer and our entire family. You are and will always be a part of our family. I can still see you in everything around me and everywhere I go, and you'll never leave my heart."

He felt a light touch on his cheek, and opened his eyes to see Emily there, sitting next to him. "I promised that I wouldn't leave you without saying goodbye." She smiled at him. "I'm so proud of you for making the right choice. It means a lot to me to know that you value us and our love so much that you would get better and stay around for everyone that we love since I can't be here."

His image of her was starting to change. She wasn't as alive and vibrant as she was before. She was in a yellow sweater and her blue jeans, and her hair was pulled into a ponytail. "I have to. I can't be selfish either, and give up on Spencer. He needs to grow up with his dad by his side, teaching him right from wrong, teaching him values, and the family business. There's no one else that can do it, and I don't trust my grandmother to do it. She would cook up a plan to take Spencer from Bobbie and Lesley in a heartbeat if one of them turned their backs for a minute. I can't take that chance. That little boy means the world to me, too. I can't let it happen," Nikolas said.

"I'm happy to hear that you feel that way, finally. Did you say anything to Dr. Devlin about stopping the medicine?"

"No, I didn't. But your image is starting to change; you aren't as bright as you were when you first started to appear. I suppose the medicine is starting to blur the visions."

"Yes they are. I warned you about that. You are doing the right thing by having the surgery. What about the money for the medicine? Did you pay him?" Emily asked.

"Yes I did. All I knew was that I wanted to keep you here with me, and that was my only viable option at the time."

"I can understand that, but ten million dollars is a lot of money. You could be using that to do other useful things," Emily said.

"He came to me and told me there was another drug that would shrink the tumor, help me get better and keep you around indefinitely. He wanted another ten million dollars. I looked at him like he was crazy. It didn't take me long to say no to him. Once again, he couldn't even tell me what the side effects were, however he did say this one was legal. But I couldn't do it. I have too much to live for. I'll miss you."

"I will miss you too. But I'm not really here. You lost me the night of the Ball. And you'll always have our memories and the love we share in your heart, so I'll never really leave. I'm happy that you said no. It's time for you to move on with your life. You deserve to be happy," she said.

"I also started a foundation to help underprivileged children to give them the help they need. I don't want to see any child go without medical insurance or being able to come to a doctor. I am doing this in your name, so that your name and memory will live on forever."

Emily started to cry. "That is the most honorable thing I've ever heard you say. I love you for doing this. It means so much to me that you want to help the underprivileged children. You are amazing." She dried her eyes and kissed him.

"I'm going to ask Aly to help me during the surgery and recovery. Even though I won't be able to work on it, it can't stand still -- the work needs to get done -- and Aly wants to help me in any way she can. I wish you two could have gotten to know each other. You would have been the best of friends. Sometimes she reminds me of you in what she does or says, and I will always think of you. You have that magic; kindness and love that always made people feel special in your presence. She does too."

"That's great that Aly is willing to help out. I can see that she is a great friend to you. I have a question for you, and please forgive me if I've ever asked you this before."

"Don't worry about it, Emily. What is your question?"

"Do you think about or see Aly in the same light as you do with me? Do you love her, too?"

"I love her, but in a different way. I see her as a friend and a sister. I could never see her as anything more than that. Even though I keep comparing her to you, she can't take your place as the woman in my life. There is only one woman who will be the love of my life, and that's you. We were a modern day fairytale, one that in all respects shouldn't have ended. It was taken from us too soon, and for that, I'll always be sad."

"I'll be sad as well. My sweet Prince, at least we'll get to say goodbye in our own way. There is still a little time for that. As for Aly, if you did have feelings for her, I wouldn't be surprised. You two are so close; I respect that and see it for what it is. But some people can mistake that close friendship for romance. Just remember, that even though some people may try to compare Aly and myself, we are two different people, with different feelings. She loves Lucky and I love you."

Emily stopped to take a breath and smiled at him with all the love in her heart. "Please make sure people remember that because it won't be easy."

"You are an amazing woman, Emily," Nikolas said.

"Aly is a great woman, too. She is very fortunate to have Lucky in her life, someone who is strong and can be there for her. Nikolas, don't rule out loving someone else in the future. You need to move on with your life, and if someone makes you happy, I want you to take that chance. You shouldn't live your life alone with only Spencer, you should be happy and with someone. Just keep that in mind."

"That is a promise I can make." He gave her a kiss, and then he asked, "Would you stay with me one last night?"

"Yes, I will," Emily said. They fell back on the bed and had one last night together, one that Nikolas would remember for the rest of his life.

The next morning, Nikolas felt well rested. He talked to Alfred and arranged for someone to pick him up at the other end of the launch, at the mainland, to take him to the hospital. Alexis was coming later to get Spencer and bring him to the hospital, once Nikolas was out of surgery and in recovery. Nikolas protested over the phone when she called him yesterday, but his aunt finally won out. He figured it would be best to let her bring Spencer along. Nikolas knew he'd like to see his son once he gets into his own hospital room. Alexis could keep Spencer busy until it was time to bring him in to visit, and Bobbie and Lesley will be at the hospital to help Alexis out as well.

Nikolas went downstairs to talk with Alfred before leaving on the launch. "Alfred, if you need any direction or help, please let Bobbie, Lesley or Alexis know. They will be able to help you out."

"Everything will be fine, Mr. Cassadine, don't worry about a thing. Just take care of yourself. We have it all under control. You should get going."

Nikolas looked at Spencer with such love in his eyes, who was standing with Alfred. He gave Spencer a huge hug. "Spencer, stay with Grandma Lesley and Bobbie. They will bring you up to see me. I love you."

"Love you too, Daddy," Spencer said. As he was hugging him, a tear fell out of Nikolas' eye. He reached up and wiped it away. He knew he was making the right decision to stay around for Spencer and his family. He released Spencer and got onto the launch. He waved at them until they were out of sight. Nikolas knew that the next time he went back to Spoon Island; it would be without his visions of Emily, unless she appeared to him in dreams in the future.

Once back on the mainland, he got into the car and was driven over to GH. He went in and found Patrick at the Nurses' station. Patrick showed him to his room and got him settled in before they prepped him for surgery.

"Can I get you anything?" Patrick asked.

"I don't think so. Thanks anyway," Nikolas said.

Robin walked into the room. "How is my patient doing this morning?"

"Hanging in there," was Nikolas' reply. "I guess I should get changed and comfortable. I'll be here a while."

Patrick and Robin laughed. "We'll leave you alone. I'll be back to check on you," Robin said.

"Thank you for everything," Nikolas said, with the most sincere look of gratefulness.

After they left, he went into the bathroom and put the hospital gown on, the blue robe and sat down on the bed. He closed his eyes and thought about Emily. He almost expected to see her when he opened his eyes. However, when he opened them, Aly was standing there in the doorway.

"Hey, Nik. It's good to see you. I'd ask if you were ready for today, but I think I know your answer. How are you doing otherwise?" Aly asked.

"I'm hanging in there as best as I can. I can't say that I'm ready for today, but I know I'm making the right choice, to be around for my family, Spencer and my friends, and that's what matters. Besides, Emily wants me to do this for her." He smiled at one of his closest friends and confidantes. "What brings you by?" He was trying to lighten the mood.

"Hey I'm supposed to make you smile and laugh, not the other way around," Aly said. Both of them laughed. "I wanted to see you. I'm going to be here through the whole surgery, along with Lucky, Lulu, Alexis and Sam. I'll be by your side for your recovery. You don't have to worry about anything. I'm here for you."

He took her hand and looked into her eyes. "Thank you, Aly. That means the world to me. I appreciate it. And thanks for everything. One question for you?"

"Yes? What can I help you with?"

"Would you be able to start looking after Emily's foundation while I'm recovering? I've only just started on it and wouldn't want it to fall by the wayside."

"Absolutely. I'll keep you updated until you're ready to return to working on it."

"I owe you one, Aly," Nikolas said. "Right now, all that I'm working on is making calls to people. It's been taking me a lot of time to get it up and running. Thank you for helping me."

"That's what friends are for. Just get better quickly," she said. Aly gave him a kiss on his cheek. "I'll see you as they wheel you into surgery. Get some rest now. I'll catch you in a little while."

"Definitely," he said.

Epiphany came in and hooked up an IV and got him set up on a monitor. Once she was gone, he lay back on the bed and closed his eyes. He fell asleep.

He drifted in and out for the next hour or so, having restless dreams about Emily, Spencer, and his family, until Robin came in and woke him up for the surgery.

"Nikolas, it's time to get going. Are you awake?" Robin asked.

He moved a bit. It was hard to get completely comfortable with an IV in his arm and hooked up to a monitor. "Yes I am. Let's go before I change my mind."

Robin said to the two orderlies, "it's time." They started to wheel him out of the room towards the OR.

As he was going down the hall, Lulu and Lucky came up next to him. Lucky said to him, "Hang in there, we have more fun waiting for us once you're out of here. Get better quickly."

Lulu said, "I love you, Nikolas. You're going to be ok," she leaned over and gave him a hug and a kiss. "You were here for me during my bone marrow ordeal, and I'm going to be here for you. I'll see you soon."

"Love you both," Nikolas said. "See you afterwards."

A few yards away, he saw Alexis and Sam. They came over to him and gave him a hug and kiss, and said they would see him soon.

As he was getting into the elevator with Robin and Patrick, he thought, 'where is Aly.' No sooner did he think that, and she appeared and got on the elevator with them.

"Did you think you'd really escape into the OR before I got to see you?" she smiled and winked at him.

"Well…." he joked with her. "I tried." She laughed.

"I'm going to be here when you get out. You're in the best hands with Robin, Patrick and their team. You can do this, for yourself and Emily." The elevator door opened and she said, "I love you. Dream about Emily one last time." She smiled at him.

"I will," he said. "See you in a while. Love you too." With that, he was wheeled into the OR, while Aly went back upstairs to sit with Lucky, Lulu, Alexis and Sam to wait for some news on the progress of his surgery.

He realized he was in the OR room, and he was still awake. Robin came over and told him to take some deep breaths. The surgery was going to start and to relax. Nikolas looked up and saw Emily in her ball gown in the window looking down on him.

Elizabeth, who was part of the team, administered the anesthesia, and he started to go under. He felt a touch and felt Emily holding his hand as she gave him a kiss – he knew the feel of her hand anywhere. He fell asleep. Robin and Patrick started the surgery.

Nikolas was walking in the park. It was a sunny day. He stopped to take in the beautiful weather and the sunshine. He never noticed how amazing life could be. She appeared in the distance.

She wore a pale blue shirt, blue jeans, and her hair was in a pony tail. "Nikolas," she said as she walked up and kissed him. "My one and only true love. This is our last journey together. When we met, I was a gawky eleven year old. My mom Paige Bowen and I met Monica at an Arizona cancer clinic, and they became great friends. As Mom was getting towards the end of her life, Monica invited us to live with her and Alan. After she died, they adopted me. It wasn't easy and it took me a while to adjust to losing the only mother I had ever known. After a while, it was the first time I felt as if I was part of their family."

She continued. "We have been through so many things in the time we had together - Zander, Lydia, Courtney, Sonny, you were supposedly killed, the Metro Court fire, the breast cancer, Connor and the rape, your grandmother, our marriage and divorce, Spencer's kidnapping by your grandmother, and finally finding our way back together. Now it's time to finish our last walk down memory lane and let go."

"I know it is. This won't be easy. We have been through a lot but it was worth it to be with you in the end." He closed his eyes and kissed Emily.

When he opened his eyes, he was with Emily down on the docks. She had on a white t-shirt, grey sweatshirt, blue running pants and sneakers. She had her hair in a pony tail.

"I remember what happened here. It was September 2003. We had promised to stay away from each other and just be friends."

"That's right," Emily said. "What else?"

"This was after your cancer. You were with Zander. We had reminisced about our first kiss in the park, when you stuck your tongue down my throat."

She giggled out loud. "Wow, you remembered that! I was just doing what I thought I should do. I didn't have much practice back then."

"It was amazing and sweet. I can still remember it to this day. But I told you that I could keep my distance, since you had chosen Zander, but I couldn't walk out of your life. I still wanted you, and I was determined to win you back somehow, when the time was right."

"And eventually you did," Emily said. They started to walk, and he stopped to hug and kiss her.

When Nikolas opened his eyes after the kiss, they were back at the hospital. He didn't understand what was happening. "Why are we back at the hospital?"

"Its part of our trip back in time. You are having the surgery and this is our way of saying goodbye. Do you remember the night you came to visit me after my treatment? You had on that blue shirt. It was worn and ripped. That was the only time I ever saw you drunk."

"I forgot all about that," Nikolas said and laughed. "If I remember correctly, it was early December of the same year. Zander and I got into a fight at Jake's over you. We tore up the place and beat ourselves up pretty good. Then something crazy happened – after all the fighting, we sat on the floor next to the bar, tired, worn out, and drunk. We were bonding. Lucky and Lydia showed up, and they told Coleman to stop serving us. Coleman called them because we weren't in any condition to drive. Lydia said that we were in no condition to see you, and Lucky actually agreed with her for the first and only time. But that didn't stop us. We went anyway."

"I was shocked to see you drunk. You couldn't even say 'inebriated.' It was hysterical. Up to that point, I had never seen you drunk. Zander said that you both tripped and fell. You fell into a door and he fell into a pool cue. I couldn't stop laughing over you two. Poor Lucky, he had to deal with both of you. At that time, I had no idea you were fighting over me. After you and Zander left my room, Lucky brought it to my attention that I needed to face my feelings, that I was in love with you, and I needed to be fair to you and Zander. It took some time but I was finally honest with you."

They started walking again, and when he opened the door of the hospital, it led them to Wyndemere, by the fountain and all bundled up. She was in her tan coat, him in his black coat, and it was snowing. Do you remember our kiss in the snow?"

"Yes, I do," he smiled and laughed. "It was December 2003. You were studying so hard for your pre-med tests. I was distracting you, trying to get you to stop studying. I told you about St. Viviana's Day. You asked me how the Feast Day was celebrated. I couldn't tell if you were sincere or you were humoring me. I said that you had to take a walk in the snow with someone you love."

"I was so caught up in studying and preparing for my career. I teased you about being a Prince, and that I didn't have my career handed to me."

"That was the first time you ever held being a Prince against me," he said with a straight face.

"You know I didn't mean it," Emily said as she smiled and took his hand.

"Of course I knew that. After we talked, I went outside alone in the snow. I was hoping and waiting for you to join me."

"A few minutes later, I did. I couldn't resist. You threw a snowball at me."

"I teased you and dared you to call me Prince again, and then I gave you the biggest speech in the world about knowing six languages, and winning the award in my scepter..." He laughed and a big smile spread over his face.

She laughed. "Which lead to a few more snowballs thrown, and a chase around the fountain." She stopped and looked at him. "You slipped and fell, and I fell down on top of you, and we kissed. It was perfect. Afterwards, we relaxed by the fireplace."

"It was magical. It is still one of the most amazing days of my life." Tears fell from his eyes.

She reached up and brushed his tears away. "We talked about the future and my cancer remission. Do you remember what I said when I count my blessings?"

He sat and thought for a minute, but he couldn't quite place the words she said. "What did you say?"

"That you are on the top of my list."

"I was the one person that you truly loved and would never take for granted. I will always love you, Emily." They kissed.

"I love you, too. That was a special time in our lives. That led to finally admitting our feelings for one another and our wedding on December 2, 2004. I wanted to bottle up that day and keep it forever. You indeed looked like a princess, and you never looked more like royalty. However, my grandmother and Connor intervened and planned revenge. I was framed for her fall off the cliff and wound up in jail, which she survived. Then Connor raped you. I couldn't even get through to you, for you to look at me, as me and not as Connor. That was the worst part. That eventually broke up our marriage. It was a hard time in our lives."

"But we finally found our way back to each other after your mom's trip back into our lives, thanks for Robin's medical find, but that was short-lived and then Laura had to go back to Shadybrook."

"I realized a lot of things after that. That's why I needed to be with you. Life was too precious and love was too rare to just throw it all away." They headed towards the stables, opened the door and walked right in. On to the next stop on their life journey towards Nikolas' new life without his visions of Emily.

While all this was going on in his mind, Robin, Patrick and the team were busy taking care of the tumor. Patrick was doing all he could to keep his focus on Nikolas and the job at hand. He kept worrying about Robin and the baby, making sure they were ok. Robin nudged him. "I'm fine. Don't worry about me. Concentrate on Nikolas. You're doing great."

"Thanks," Patrick said. "I am concentrating on him. But I still do like having you by my side as well." He smiled at her.

"Let's keep going," she said. They were about halfway done now.

Upstairs in the lounge near the nurses' station, Aly and everyone else wanted to know what was happening. Aly went over to the nurses' station and spoke with Nadine.

"Do you have a status on Nikolas' surgery?" Aly asked.

"I just called downstairs a few minutes ago, and they said it was still going but it was going ok. They were about halfway done," Nadine said.

"Thanks," Aly said. She went back to the lounge where everyone was waiting and told them. Lulu's cell phone rang. It was Carly, checking on Nikolas. Lulu gave her the quick update and promised to call her as soon as she knew something. During the first half of the surgery, Alexis went back to Wyndemere and picked up Spencer. He was sitting there drawing as Lulu was talking on the phone to Carly.

As Lulu was getting off the phone, Aly looked up to see Paige and Zoe coming around the corner.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" Aly asked Paige.

"I came to see you about finally setting up that appointment with you for Zoe. The nurse told me that you were up here. Is everything ok?" Paige asked.

Lulu said to Paige, "my brother Nikolas is in surgery right now. He's been in there a while already. By the way, I'm Lulu."

"Nice to meet you. I'm Paige and this is my daughter, Zoe."

"Hi Zoe," Lulu said. "Would you like to color?"

"May I, Mommy?"

"Sure, go right ahead. Thank you, Lulu. That was really sweet," Paige said.

"Zoe, this is Spencer, Nikolas' son. May she color with you?" Lulu said.

"Yes, Aunt Lulu. Hi, Zoe," Spencer said. "Here is some paper and crayons."

Zoe sat down next to Spencer, grabbed a piece of paper and a crayon and started coloring.

Paige sat down and chatted with Aly.

"How old is Spencer?" Paige asked Aly.

"He's four."

"He's adorable. Nikolas is very lucky to have a son as cute as Spencer," Paige said.

"Yes he is," Aly said. They sat in silence for a short time, as they waited for some news on Nikolas, from Robin, Patrick or Elizabeth.

Back in Nikolas' mind at the stables in Wyndemere, Nikolas and Emily sat down on hay bales and talked again.

"This was where we finally got back together for good," Nikolas said. "I had arranged that wonderful picnic and for us to be locked up here. I had been afraid that you would say no if I asked to spend our anniversary together, so I tricked you into coming to the stables with me."

"You really caught me by surprise. I would have come and said yes if you had asked me. Opening that basket that you got from Alfred with all my favorite things inside made me suspicious, but it didn't make it any less surprising. You went to all that trouble to make our reunion a time to remember and it truly was."

"I wanted to tell you I loved you and would never let you go."

"And all we really needed for our love was trust, faith and forgiveness. We were there for each other's struggles, hardships and sufferings, and to delight in one another."

"We had that, and more," Nikolas said.

"Yes we did," she said. "We'll always have that."

They got up, opened the door of the stables, and walked through it. He walked into the hallway outside of their bedroom in Wyndemere. He was dressed up in his tuxedo. He looked around for Emily.

His mind drifted back to the night before the ball. They were sitting on an oversized chair in the study. He invited Emily to go anywhere in the world with him, and she said she'd be happy anywhere as long as it was with him.

He realized it was Halloween 2007 – the night of the Black and White Ball. He knocked on the door. He walked in and saw her looking in the mirror. He was both nervous and excited. It was going to be the most important night of his life.

She was dressed in her white ball gown, her gorgeous brown hair down and in curls. Nikolas couldn't believe that he was about to ask her to be his all over again - asking her to marry him. It was a dream come true.

"Are you ready to go downstairs?" she asked.

"Not quite," Nikolas said. "First there are a few things I need to say to you." He looked at her nervously. "I am so afraid that whatever I have is going to kill me and I won't be with you again. I won't be here to raise my son with you. I want to spend whatever many days left I have with you. Will you marry me?"

She looked at him with wonder and amazement. "Yes, I'll marry you, the same as we did before, and will do it a million times again. I'll promise to love and cherish you for the rest of our lives."

He started to cry. She continued, "When it's time for us, we'll have our own children. We are going to have a long happy life together." He nervously put the ring on her hand.

"I'll love you forever," Nikolas said.

"I'll love you forever, too," Emily said, and they kissed.

They walked out of the door and into the grand ballroom downstairs. All of their friends were around them. Nikolas made his announcement of an endowment to General Hospital in Alan's name. Then he announced his engagement to Emily.

Everything seemed perfect and the Black and White Ball started. Nikolas walked out of the ballroom and no one else was around. He thought something felt strange and that something was wrong. Emily appeared. Nikolas told her to leave, that he was afraid that he would be unable to protect her if he blacked out.

She said that she wasn't afraid of him, that he would never hurt her, and that she was going to stay with him. Then Nikolas looked behind Emily and saw someone else there. He was knocked unconscious, and when he woke up, Emily was lying on the ballroom floor, lifeless. Nikolas started to cry.

In the OR, Patrick said to Robin, "We should begin stitching him up. We are just about done here, and it is a success."

Robin said, "This has been a very long surgery, but we are doing a great job."

"Yes," Patrick said. "Elizabeth, would you please get me a sector?"

She gave it to him, and they continued to finish Nikolas' surgery.

Nikolas is sitting on the floor of Wyndemere, crying and weeping for Emily. He never felt so alone. Her body was no longer there, but he couldn't bring himself to leave the ballroom. Just then, the ballroom door opened, and Emily walked in, wearing her dress.

"Nikolas, this is our last step. We have to say goodbye now."

"I know we have to."

"But before we say goodbye, we need to do one more special thing." Nikolas looked at her and stood up. Once again, his torn tuxedo was looking brand new, and now Emily was wearing her wedding gown, and not her ball gown, and looked as pretty as any princess in the world. "From the moment I met you, I knew I was going to love and marry you, and that dream kept me going for a long time. I, Emily Quartermaine, take you, Nikolas Cassadine to be my husband, now and forever. To love and cherish and honor forever. You are my one true love, and will always be."

Nikolas started to cry again as he said the words that he had been waiting to say since he asked Emily to marry him again. "You taught me to love, and we have our love, hope and faith in each other, and no matter what, I will be right there for you. I, Nikolas Cassadine, take you, Emily Quartermaine to be my wife, now and forever. I will honor, love and cherish you forever. You'll always be my true love."

Nikolas took her hand, and they started dancing to their wedding song, the piano solo that had played at their wedding in 2004. The music changed, and they waltzed around the floor of the ballroom. They moved with such ease and effortlessly, Nikolas never felt more alive and happy than right now in this moment. He would cherish and remember this forever. He has glad to get one more chance with Emily and be able to recite their wedding vows and have their first dance as husband and wife once again. It's a feeling that Nikolas will take with him for the rest of his life.

Suddenly, Emily looked at Nikolas with tears in her eyes. Emily said, "Nikolas, it is time to let go, and move on with your life. We need to say goodbye." She started to cry. In the background, a song was playing.

_Say goodnight not good-bye  
You will never leave my heart behind  
Like the path of a star  
I'll be anywhere you are_

"I'll always be with you," Emily said. "All you need to do is reach out to me with your heart; I'm there, always willing to listen. Keep my love in your heart."__

In the spark that lies beneath the coals  
In the secret place inside your soul  
Keep my light in your eyes  
Say goodnight not good-bye

Don't you fear when you dream  
Waking up is never what it seems  
Like a jewel buried deep  
Like a promise meant to keep  


"I will never forget you, your smile, your laugh, any part of you." They started walking out of the ballroom and towards the front door of Wyndemere. He was crying out of so much sadness that it hurt. "I'll miss you now and forever. I love you, Emily."

_  
You are everything you want to be  
So just let your heart reach out to me  
I'll be right by your side  
Say goodnight not good-bye_

You are everything you want to be  
So just let your heart reach out to me  
Keep my light in your eyes  
Say goodnight not good-bye

"I will love you always, Nikolas, my sweet Prince. Take care of Spencer and your family. I'll be watching over you forever." She was sobbing and weeping as well.

They kissed, as lovers often do, but this last kiss was bittersweet, tinged with the longing and sadness of never being together again.

Once they finished their kiss and pulled away from each other, they touched each other's faces in one last romantic, kind and gentle signal. Nikolas opened the door to Wyndemere. He watched the love of his life walk away into the mist of Spoon Island and into the light.

He closed the door and walked back towards the ballroom door. He walked through it.

He started to wake up from the most amazing and sad dream of his life. As he coming out of the anesthesia, he realized he was back in the hospital in recovery.

It was time to let go of Emily and move on with his life. How? He had his family and friends around, and even though no one could take the place of Emily, he had his memories and love for her to keep her alive in his heart.

Song: "Say Goodnight, Not Goodbye" by Beth Nielson Chapman

25


	18. Hey Jealousy

**Chapter 18- Hey Jealousy**

Aly and Lucky had practically moved into the hospital since Nikolas decided to have his surgery. Lucky had promised his brother he'd be by his side and that is exactly where he was. Aly had made the same promise; not only to Nikolas, but to the man she was truly falling in love with. When she wasn't working, she was right by Nikolas and Lucky's side. There was nowhere else she'd rather be.

When Nikolas was moved from ICU to a normal room, he insisted that Lucky, Lulu, and Aly stopped hovering around. He demanded that they get back to their lives. After a few days of arguing, Lucky and Aly decided that a weekend getaway might be in their best interest.

Lucky and Aly's relationship had really grown in the past few months. Things had gotten pretty serious fairly quickly. Aly was so comfortable with him. Given both of their past relationships, the two were somehow able to trust one another, and had both fallen hard.

After the recent weeks of spending so much time with Nikolas, the two decided to rent a cabin for the weekend. They were in need of some 'alone' time.

Aly packed a picnic basket full of goodies. Lucky built a fire while Aly poured some wine for the two of them. The two sat in front of the fire place, Lucky's arms around Aly. Everything was perfect. A romantic weekend away is exactly what they both needed. Lucky slowly planted kisses down Aly's neck until she turned to kiss his lips.

He pulled away and looked at her with such love and passion.

"Aly, I love you. I love you like I've never loved anyone else."

"I love you too," Aly said. She had wanted to say the words for so long. She had been afraid before, she wanted to make sure it was real, and it was, it was very real.

Lucky stood up and offered his hand to Aly. She obliged. He swept away the hair that had fallen out of place and kissed her again. He picked her up and carried her to the bed. He gently laid her down and kissed her. The intensity grew between the couple as the passion became more apparent. When Lucky started to unbutton Aly's shirt, her mind raced, her heart felt like it was about to explode out of her chest.

"Lucky, I can't..." she said, panicking. She quickly got up and went out to the front porch. Lucky was confused but thought it would be best to give her a few minutes.

Aly stood on the porch, her hands tightly gripping the railing and her heart racing. She heard the door open and wiped the tears that had swelled up in the corner of her eyes.

"You okay, babe?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, Lucky. I knew that coming here might lead to this, and I thought I was ready," she said.

"Aly, we don't have to do anything you don't want to do," he said, rubbing her shoulders as he stood behind her.

"It's not that I don't want to, because I do. It's just...All of these unexpected emotions came rushing into my brain."

"What kind of emotions?"

"The kind you get when you are about to do something you've never done before. Nervous and excited, scared but happy. My brain went on overload," she babbled.

"And this has nothing to do with what happened with Logan?" he questioned her.

"Well, in a way yes. Logan and I never slept together; I've never slept with anyone, so it's a big deal.

That night that I found him with Sam, he had said he wanted to make love to me and I freaked, that's why I left. I always thought my first time would be with someone who truly loved me, and I didn't believe he did. Then I second-guessed myself and went back."

"And you found the two of them together."

"Yeah," she said as she looked to the floor of the porch.

"That's why it was so hard for you, your breakup with Logan. I understand seeing that is hard enough on its own, but all of those feelings you were having because he would have been your first, make it that much more intense," Lucky concluded.

"I should have told you," she admitted.

"About the real reason for the depth of your heartache?" he asked.

"Well yes, but more importantly, my lack of experience," she said.

"Would it have made a difference? Do you think if you had told me you wouldn't have panicked, and we'd be making love right now?"

"Maybe. Things are so different with you."

"Because you believe that I love you?" he asked, trying to understand.

"Yes. I do believe it. I know it in my heart and in my mind. You don't even have to say it for me to know. I see it, I feel it. I am totally in love with you, Lucky. And I want to make love to you, but I'm just not ready, not yet. It's not because of what happened between Logan and me. I just need more time, more time to wrap my head around the fact that I have someone who means the world to me, and someone who I honestly believe I can have a future with. And if that changes your love for me, I guess there isn't much I can do."

"Are you serious, Aly? I love you no matter what does or doesn't happen here tonight."

"Why? Why do you love me?"

Lucky held both of Aly's hands in his and looked her in the eye, straight into her soul, "I love you because you're innocent on so many levels, and sometimes naïve but you are nobody's fool, and because you're funny and you don't try to be. You're smart but you don't like to admit it, and you're beautiful and you don't know it," he paused and lightly touched her face. "You can be strong and confident then shy and vulnerable. I love you because you are Aly Russell, the girl who makes me feel like I'm everything I never thought I could be. Nothing will change my love for you."

She kissed him. "You are everything I want you to be, strong and brave, caring and compassionate. I love you, you are _my_ Cowboy."

The next morning, Aly awoke with Lucky's arms around her. They had spent the rest of the night talking and kissing and just being together. Aly wished she could wake up every morning next to Lucky, and she thought that someday that wish just might come true.

After a restful and romantic weekend away, it was back to work for Aly. She was busy at the hospital with her usual workload but also with the foundation that Nikolas had started in Emily's name. Nikolas had asked Aly to help and she had insisted on doing all the work until he was fully recovered from his surgery. The work for the foundation was mostly phone calls but it still took up a lot of Aly's extra time. She went to Wyndemere every day to check on Nikolas and to give him the update on how things were going with the foundation.

Several weeks had passed. Nikolas' recovery was going much slower than he liked. Aly was supportive and continued to visit him each day. She was just wrapping things up in her office when Lucky arrived.

"Hey you, I wasn't expecting you," she said as he wrapped his arms around her and gave her a kiss.

"I know, I wanted to surprise you," he said with a grin, "I was hoping we could get a bite to eat."

"Oh, I can't. I'm headed out to Wyndemere to check on Nikolas, but you could come with me," she told him.

"Haven't you been there every day for the last month?" he asked, sounding a little perturbed.

"I'm just trying to be a good friend," Aly said, defending herself. She wasn't sure why her visits with Nikolas were upsetting Lucky so much. He knew that the two of them were close.

"I just don't understand why you feel like you have to go out there every day. Nikolas has everything, he has servants, he has Spencer, and I know Lesley and Bobbie are there all the time, too," Lucky ranted.

"Are you jealous?" Aly asked, starting to get upset.

"Jealous? No, not at all. It just seems that you'd rather spend time with my brother instead of me," he said.

"Lucky, that is not true and you know it. Your brother has been through hell and back this year. He lost the love of his life, and he nearly died. Someone had to knock some sense into him."

"See that's just it. Why does it have to be you?" he asked.

"Well, from what I can tell, Emily was the one who use to do it and she's not here anymore, so someone had to step up," Aly informed him.

"So you think you're Emily now? You can't take her place in Nikolas' life. You can't take her place in my life, not Elizabeth's, and sure as hell not Jason's. You need to stop pretending to be somebody you aren't. You will never be Emily," Lucky said in a hateful tone.

"I'm not trying to be Emily. How could you accuse me of trying to take her place? That is impossible, and I would never even think about attempting to do that. I came here to Port Charles to find myself, Lucky. To be my own person and if who I am is similar to who Emily was, I refuse to apologize. She was a wonderful person, someone that you and your brother and everyone else in this damn town put up on a pedestal. Who in their right mind wouldn't want to be like that? But don't you dare for a minute think I'm trying to be her. I am who I am, and I thought that was someone that you were in love with."

Aly grabbed her bag and headed out or her office, leaving Lucky stunned. He couldn't believe what he had just said. What was he thinking? He started to go after her. He saw her at the nurse's station.

"Nadine, I'm finished for the day but I'll have my pager if anything comes up," Aly said calmly.

"Sure, Aly. Have a great evening," Nadine said to her friend.

"Aly! Wait!" Lucky called after her. She looked in his direction and glared at him. He caught up with her at the elevator.

"I don't have time for jealousy and false accusations," she said as the elevator doors closed. It took everything she had to not cry. She got in her car and made it all the way to the launch before deciding that a visit with Nikolas wasn't in her best interest. She wasn't about to let him see her like this. He could read her like a book, and she knew she wouldn't be able to hide the fact that she was upset. The last thing that Nikolas needed was to be dragged into an argument between his brother and one of his best friends. She called and had Alfred take a message. She lied, telling Alfred she wasn't feeling well and needed to go home and rest.

"Carter, I've had a change of plans. I'm on my way home. Could you please have a hot bubble bath drawn for me and a bottle of our best red wine waiting for me by the bath?"

"Of course, Ms. Aly, but are you sure about the wine?" he asked politely.

"I was a drug addict, not an alcoholic," she said in a hateful tone, then quickly realized she was being rude and changed her tone, "but I appreciate your concern, Carter. Besides the cardiologists at the hospital say red wine is good for the heart, and mine could use a little help," she said with a sigh.

"Tough day?" he casually asked.

"Something like that. I'll be home soon, thank you, Carter," she said and hung up the phone.

She pulled away from the launch and headed towards Fox Hollow. Her mind raced with thoughts. She was taken back to the night she found Logan and Sam together. She opted to not push the petal to the metal this time. Her heart broke all over again. She started to doubt herself. Was her loyalty in the wrong place? Maybe she was spending more time with Nikolas to avoid her insecurities she felt when she was with Lucky.

Once at home, Carter greeted Aly as he always did, cheerfully.

"I will not be accepting any personal phone calls or visitors this evening," she informed him.

"As you wish Ms. Aly," he said as she went up the stairs.

As requested, the antique claw foot bath tub was filled with a steamy hot bubble bath and a bottle of wine awaited her. She poured herself a glass of the wine and dragged herself out of her clothes. She slowly stepped into the tub and tried to relax, occasionally sipping from her glass, but she couldn't hold back the tears, not any longer. They streamed her face and she finally gave in and cried until she sobbed.

After her bath and finishing off the bottle of wine, Aly stayed in her room. Lucky had tried to call her several times but she refused to answer her phone. Was she being stubborn? Yes. Was she being slightly melodramatic? Oh yeah. But she didn't care. She was hurt. She felt like Lucky had ripped her heart out and trampled on it. Spinelli made several attempts to cheer her up, and she was glad that he cared. The only thing Aly wanted was to be left alone.

The next day, she met Elizabeth for lunch at Kelly's before both of their shifts started. Aly did her best with her makeup to cover up the evidence of the lack of sleep she had gotten the night before. She tried her best to be her usual cheery self but was having a hard time, and Elizabeth noticed.

"Something is bothering you today. Do you want to talk about it?" she asked Aly.

"Not really," Aly responded. She couldn't talk to Elizabeth about this.

"If it has to do with Lucky, you can tell me. You and I are friends, you should be able to talk to me about these things," Elizabeth told her.

"It does have to do with Lucky. We had our first fight, and it came out of nowhere."

"What was it about?"

"He got upset with me about going to visit Nikolas. He said he feels like I would rather spend time with his brother than him," Aly told her.

"Lucky is good at jumping to conclusions without having all of the facts," Elizabeth was quick to respond. Aly realized that if she was going to discuss Lucky with anyone, who better to do it with than Elizabeth.

"There is more, isn't there?" Elizabeth asked.

"He accused me of trying to take Emily's place in everyone's lives."

"He did what?" Elizabeth asked, not believing what she had just heard.

"You heard me, he accused me of trying to be Emily," Aly said.

"He couldn't have meant it. And it's not true. You are your own person. He knows that," Elizabeth said trying to make Aly feel better.

"How can you be so sure that he knows that, I mean what if he's right? What if subconsciously I have been trying to take Emily's place, in his life, in Nikolas', and in yours and Jason's?"

"Aly that is ridiculous. You would never do that, and I am sure that Lucky knows that's not true. He came by the other day to visit the boys. I asked him how things were going, and he told me how much he is in love with you. You've made him whole again Aly, and none of the rest of us could do that. You did it, you believed in him, and that was all he needed. The rest of us believed in him but you, you made him believe in himself. Do you have a lot of the same qualities that Emily did? Sure. But Aly, you are your own person with your own hopes and dreams, your own history that makes you who you are."

"I just was caught off guard, things have been going so well between us," Aly admitted.

"To be honest with you, I don't know if he really ever dealt with Emily's death. I'm not trying to make excuses for him, but maybe that's where his anger came from. He and Emily were best friends for a very long time, they were before Nikolas and I even came to town. And maybe it's all of us. Maybe we are trying to replace Emily with you, to fill that void in our hearts," Elizabeth said.

"Now you are being ridiculous. Emily is irreplaceable. She will always have a special place in all of your hearts," she insisted.

"You're right, she is irreplaceable," Elizabeth smiled, "I have to admit though, I'm glad Nikolas has you in his life. We all love him and want the best for him. I can't count how many times I tried to get through to him."

Aly was deep in thought. What Elizabeth had said about Lucky and Emily made sense but she couldn't help feeling like she was still to blame for his outburst.

"You aren't feeling any better about this, are you?" Elizabeth asked.

"It's just that maybe I am to blame for Lucky's anger. I have been spending a lot of time with Nikolas, again, maybe subconsciously doing so to avoid being with Lucky, not because I don't want to be with him, but to avoid the insecurities I feel when I'm with him," Aly said, then hoped she wouldn't have to explain to Elizabeth what had happened at the cabin.

"Aly, you are over analyzing this. I'm gonna take a guess here and say that you are one of those people who always has the answer and if you don't, you find it. I know you are highly intelligent, but there is no answer this time. When you are in love with someone things just are. There isn't a rhyme or reason for them. You can try and make sense of it all but it is what it is. As far as your insecurities go, lack of experience may play a small role but honestly Aly, you need to learn how to just let go."

"I tried that once, and I got burned," she said with a scowl.

"You mean with Logan?" Elizabeth questioned.

Aly shook her head 'yes'.

"Well, you just have to pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try again."

"Maybe you're right," Aly said.

Elizabeth smiled, "Of course I am!"

"Exactly what did you and Logan have in common anyway? I never really understood your relationship," Elizabeth asked out of the blue.

"Well, I guess initially it was a physical attraction, he has really amazing eyes. Then it changed, as we got to know each other. We talked about a lot of things, but mostly medicine. He joined the army to be able to pay for medical school; he wanted to be a doctor. He was the first guy to ever pay attention to me," Aly said solemnly.

"I see. So he actually has some depth to him, too bad Sam got her claws into him," Elizabeth said.

"No, not too bad. I'm glad. If it weren't for her, I wouldn't be with Lucky," Aly said with a smile. "I like to think of my relationship with Logan as an experiment. Things are so different with Lucky, but you're right, I can't just let go."

"Why do you think that is?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure really. When we're together everything is so amazing and then when things start to get more serious, I freak out. So you really think all I need to do is just let go, and let myself be free with him?" Aly questions her friend.

"I do, I think that once you do that things will be even better for the two of you. Being free is about taking chances. Some of the chances you take are going to burn you, but others will bring you happiness. Whatever the outcome is, you can always find a reason to be thankful for taking the chance. But you have to trust yourself first, Aly, trust and love yourself, then anything is possible."

"I am so thankful I have such a wonderful friend like you. Trust and love myself, I think I can handle that."

"Of course you can," Elizabeth smiled, and then looked at her watch, "We'd better get to work."

The ladies paid for their food and headed out the door. On their way out the door they ran into Carly.

"Hey Carly," Aly said with a smile, "How's mommy to be?"

"Oh, ready to not be pregnant any more. I'm glad I ran into the two of you," Carly said. In the past months since Elizabeth had moved into the penthouse with Jason, an unspoken truce had been made. Carly had finally accepted that Jason was in love with Elizabeth, and she knew she had to support him and his decision to claim Jake and have Elizabeth in his life full time. The two women were not the best friends by any means, but for the sake of Jason, they got along.

"Really?" Elizabeth asked.

"Yeah, I wanted to see how Nikolas was doing with his recovery. I haven't seen Lulu or Lucky for a few days, so I haven't heard anything," Carly told them.

Before Aly or Elizabeth could answer, six men came out of nowhere, covered each of the women's mouths so their screams couldn't be heard, and shoved them all into the back of a van.

At General Hospital, Paige and Zoe patiently waited for Aly's arrival. Paige had called and set up a check up appointment for Zoe after deciding to get it out of the way while she still had time. She checked her watch and noticed it was past their appointment time.

Paige got down on her daughter's level and said, "Zoe, you stay right here where I can see you, I'm just going to go over here and see what is keeping Dr. Russell."

She walked over to the nurse's station to inquire about how much longer it would be.

"Let me check, Ms. Colbertson," Nadine said.

"Please call me Paige, Nadine," she said.

While Paige waited, she noticed a familiar face walking down the hallway. She caught his eye as he approached.

"Hi, Nikolas," she said shyly.

"Hi, it's Paige right?" he asked politely. She nodded. "What brings you by? Is everything okay?"

"Oh, yes, everything is fine. My daughter," she pointed in Zoe's direction, "is here for a check up with Dr. Russell."

"Well, you have picked one of the best pediatricians in the country for your daughter, I greatly respect parents who want nothing but the best for their children. Dr. Russell is a close personal friend of mine, you and your daughter will be in exceptional care," Nikolas informed her.

"Thank you. I have heard that about Dr. Russell, and any good parent would want the best for their child. You have a little boy, right?"

"I do. Spencer. He is my whole world, the only reason that I live," Nikolas said proudly. "He is probably around your daughter's age, I'm sorry, what is her name?"

"Zoe," she said with a smile.

"She's beautiful. I am guessing here, but she looks like she is around five?"

"She is. "

"Spencer will be five soon. We should arrange a play date."

"That's not a bad idea since we are new to town, Zoe doesn't have any friends and I hate that she has to be around adults all the time. Kids grow up fast enough on their own, being surrounded by adults only makes them grow up faster. I think she'd really enjoy that, she had fun coloring with him during your surgery."

"I'm sorry, during my surgery?" Nikolas was a little confused.

"We happened to be here walking around the hospital, and we ran into your family while you were in surgery. Your sister asked Zoe if she wanted to join Spencer while he colored," Paige explained.

"That was nice of Lulu. I'm sure that Spencer enjoyed the company," Nikolas said.

"I'm sorry to interrupt, but it looks like Dr. Russell is running late today. I'll be sure to let you know when she arrives, Ms. Colbertson," Nadine said.

"That's not like her," Nikolas said with a puzzled look on his face, "I'm sure she's rushing to get here. It was good to see you again, Paige. I must get going but if you want to set up that play date, just give my office here at the hospital a call."

"Thanks, Nikolas, good to talk with you," she said. He smiled, and then he was gone. She didn't know what it was about him, but he was very charming.


	19. Gone

**Chapter 19- Gone**

"Carly, are you okay?" Aly asked frantically.

"I'm fine, are you guys okay?" Carly asked.

Both Aly and Elizabeth said they were fine.

"What the hell just happened"? Carly asked.

"I have no idea," Aly said.

"Do you think this has something to do with Sonny and Jason?" Elizabeth asked, not sure if she really wanted to hear the answer to that question.

"Could be, I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Carly answered.

After a long drive, the van came to a stop. The men got out and escorted the three women into an abandoned house in the middle of nowhere. They were put in the basement of the house. The girls stood around, not wanting to sit down and not knowing what was going to happen next.

"What do we do? I can't be stuck down here in this basement when I'm about to go into labor any day," Carly panicked.

"We have to stay calm. Getting all worked up isn't going to do us any good, particularly you, Carly. We just do what they say and hope for the best," Aly said. She always tried to look at the bright side of things no matter how bad it looked at the time.

"Are you kidding me?" Carly said, freaking out more. "Stay calm? How the in the _hell _am I supposed to stay calm?"

"Haven't you ever seen a soap opera? Freaking out is only going to make things worse," Aly said as she leaned in closer to Carly, for more emphasis. "Listen to me, Carly. Stressing yourself out like this could send you into labor. You need to sit down and do your best to relax," Aly said. Carly took Aly's advice, found a chair and sat down. Aly sat down next to her.

"Wait..." Elizabeth said. She had sat down on a chair across from Carly. She looked at them with a puzzled look on her face as she concentrated.

"What is it?" Aly asked her.

"I hear someone talking," Elizabeth said, listening intently.

"What are they saying?" Carly asked.

"I don't know, they are speaking in another language," Elizabeth said.

Aly went over to where Elizabeth was and listened. She could hear the voices coming through a heating vent.

"Can you make out what they are saying?" Carly asked nervously.

Aly concentrated on the voices.

"It's not good. They are Russian, and they just wanted me but they grabbed the two of you to use as collateral," Aly said as she continued to translate the dialogue.

"Why do they want you?" Elizabeth asked.

"I'm not sure, but I have a feeling I'll be finding out soon," Aly paused and took out her phone. "These guys aren't very smart; they didn't take our cell phones."

"I don't have a signal," Carly said looking at hers, pointing it in every direction she could to find a signal.

"Me either," Elizabeth said, just as upset and disappointed.

"Damn it! Neither do I," Aly said, getting upset. As she stared at her phone, she thought of something, "Wait a second, let me see your phones," she said and both women handed her their phones.

"What are you going to do? Pull a MacGyver?" Carly said sarcastically.

"Not exactly," she said as she took the phones apart and inspected them. "Just what I thought. Jason had Spinelli put tracking devices in all of our phones," she said. She put the phones back together.

"So they can spy on us?" Carly said angrily. She couldn't believe it.

"No, for this exact reason," Elizabeth said, starting to get annoyed.

"But doesn't the device need a signal to work?" Carly asked, glaring at Elizabeth, then at Aly.

"Yes but Spinelli would be able to track us up to the point where we lost our signals," Aly said confidently.

"So all we have to do is wait for the guys to realize we are missing," Carly said solemnly.

"That shouldn't take long, when Elizabeth and I don't show up at work someone will notice."

"How can you be so sure?" Carly questioned her.

"How can I not be sure?" Aly said. She sat and thought for a minute, and suddenly it dawned on her. Paige and Zoe were due for an appointment this morning, and if she doesn't show up, they will know something is wrong. It's not like Aly to blow off work and not call. "There may be a way after all. If we don't show up at work, maybe Robin or Epiphany will know something is wrong. They know that I wouldn't blow off work especially if I have appointments scheduled."

"Let's hope so," Elizabeth said. Carly just sat there and the three girls just waited for something else to happen.

Back at General Hospital, more than an hour had passed, and Aly had still not arrived for her shift. Nadine rescheduled Zoe's appointment and apologized for the inconvenience. Epiphany got wind of the situation and started making phone calls and realized that Elizabeth had not yet shown up as well.

After calls to Fox Hollow and Aly's cell phone several times, as well as calls to Elizabeth's home and cell phone, Epiphany became very worried. She was particularly worried when she called Elizabeth's home, and Jason didn't answer. She dialed another number.

"Who are you trying to reach now?" Nadine asked.

"I'm calling Jason. Something isn't right," Epiphany told her.

"Good idea. I'll call Spinelli and see if he's heard from his sister," Nadine said as she dialed the phone. She and Spinelli had finally started dating after several months of playing cat and mouse. She knew of his capabilities to find people, as well as the love he has for his sister.

Nikolas arrived back at Wyndemere and found Lucky waiting for him in the study.

"What brings you by?" he asked his brother as he sat down at his desk and shuffled some papers around.

"I did something really stupid, and I need to know how to fix it," Lucky told him.

"And you think I can help?" Nikolas chuckled.

Lucky stared at his brother.

"This is serious?" Nikolas asked. "I'm here to listen, so get started. What could you have possibly done that is so serious?"

Lucky paced back and forth. "I might possibly be the biggest idiot in Port Charles."

"Have you ever met Jerry Jacks or Scott Baldwin?" Nikolas said with a chuckle, trying to lighten the situation.

Lucky gave his brother another stare down.

"What did you do, and why do you think you're an idiot?" Nikolas asked him.

Lucky hesitated. He knew that Nikolas would be upset with him, especially knowing how close Nikolas and Aly have become.

He took a deep breath, "I accused Aly of trying to take Emily's place in our lives," he said.

"You did what?" said a voice out of nowhere. Nikolas and Lucky turned to see Jason standing in the doorway of the study.

"Why would you do that?" Nikolas asked, completely confused.

"I got upset with her for spending so much time with you," Lucky told him.

"So you got jealous?" Nikolas inquired.

"I am not jealous, I just…." Lucky started to say but was interrupted by Jason.

"Guys!" Jason shouted, getting their attention back to him again. He had more important things to discuss with them instead of hearing them discuss Lucky being jealous of Nikolas.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Lucky asked him angrily.

"Aly and Elizabeth never showed up for work today," Jason said with all the seriousness in the world.

"Have you tried calling them?" Lucky asked as he got out his cell phone to dial Aly's number.

"I have and so has Epiphany. She couldn't reach either of them and finally called me," Jason said.

"It looks like she tried me too," Lucky said, upset that he missed her call.

"Well have you gone to all the places they could be?" Nikolas inquired.

"That was my next step but I need a little help. There is no way I can cover that much ground by myself," Jason said. Lucky and Nikolas sat down with Jason and came up with a plan.

Back at the abandoned house, the women sat in the basement in silence until Carly started rattling off her false accusations.

"This is all your fault, Elizabeth! If you wouldn't have decided to try and make a life with Jason, this wouldn't be happening," Carly ranted.

"Didn't you hear Aly? They are after _her_. And besides, my life with Jason has only changed the fact that he is no longer at your beck and call, and you can't stand it!" Elizabeth informed her.

"This _has_ to stop!" Aly insisted. "I know that Jason means the world to the both of you, and if I mean anything to you at all, you will do this. You will call a truce; the insanity has to stop. You are going to do this for me, but mostly for Jason. I will hold the both of you accountable. I don't think the two of you realize how important you are to both Jason and I, and you don't realize how much it hurts us when the two of you bicker at each other. You are both adults. It's time that you start acting like it. You don't have to be friends, hell, you don't have to even like each other at all, but you have to_ respect _each other and get along. Do I make myself clear?"

The women shook their heads. "Now shake on it," Aly demanded.

They were both hesitant but were quick to realize that Aly had been right for calling them out. They shook and called it an official truce.

After sitting in silence for a bit, Carly yelped in pain.

"Aly, you have to get me out of here! I am not having this baby in this nasty basement!" Carly demanded.

"You've got to settle down, Carly. Tell me about the pain you are experiencing," Aly said as she sat down next to her. Carly explained that the pain felt like a contraction, but she wasn't convinced that was what was happening.

"Elizabeth, will you look over there and see if there is a flashlight?" Aly said as she pointed to a toolbox.

"Carly, I'm going to have to give you an exam to be sure of what we got here," Aly told her.

"No way. Not here." Carly said furiously.

"We don't have much of a choice. We need to know what we are in for and try to prepare ourselves for it," Aly said as Elizabeth came over to where they were sitting, flashlight in hand.

"Do you even know what you are doing? You're a pediatrician, not an OBGYN!"

"Yes, I do know what I am doing. Every med student has to deliver a baby, and you know, you don't really have a choice here," Aly said as she covered Carly as much as she could in order to maintain some modesty. Carly realized that Aly was right and gave in.

"Elizabeth, can you hold the light for me, this shouldn't take too long," Aly asked.

After Aly examined Carly as thoroughly as she could, she was able to give a diagnosis.

"It's just Braxton-Hicks, you aren't dilated yet, which is a good thing," Aly informed her.

Carly was able to calm down some, but still needed something to bring her off the ledge. "Will you sing that song you always sing to the boys when you were their nanny?" Carly asked Aly.

Aly looked at Elizabeth, and she gave Aly a nod to go ahead. At this point, anything to keep Carly calm was welcomed. She sat down next to Carly and held her hand and started to sing.

_It's not that unusual  
When everything is beautiful  
It's just another  
Ordinary miracle today_

The sky knows when it's time to snow  
Don't need to teach a seed to grow  
It's just another  
Ordinary miracle today

After Aly finished singing, Elizabeth looked at Aly. "Maybe you translated wrong, I mean what could the possibly want with you?" she inquired. They had been down in the musty old basement for quite a while.

"Elizabeth, they are speaking Russian. I learned that before I learned English, I think I know what they said," Aly said with a frustrated tone.

One of the men came down the stairs and grabbed Aly by the arm and dragged her upstairs. He forced her into a chair and tied her arms behind her back. One man stood before her, she presumed that he was in charge of the operation.

"My, my. How you have grown up. Beautiful, isn't she?" The man said.

"Indeed," his henchman agreed.

"How would you know? You don't know me. If this has something to do with the Corinthos organization you are going about it all wrong. The pregnant woman in the basement? That's the mob boss' ex-wife, and the other woman, that's the mob enforcer's girlfriend and mother of his child. And me, well I'm the former nanny for said mob, and girlfriend of a police detective and sister of a PI. We will be found, and you will pay."

"I know nothing about this Corinthos organization that you speak of. We do know about mob activity, from personal experience, but more importantly, we know you, and you have what we want."

"You don't know me, and I don't have anything that anyone would want."

"Ah, but see we do know you. You are Alexandra Romanav, are you not?"

"How do you know my name? Who are you?"

"We're old friends of your father's. My name is Ivan Petrovich."

"No friend of my father would kidnap me."

"Like I said, we're old friends," he reminded her.

"That's great," she said sarcastically. "I don't care what you do to me, but you make sure my friends downstairs are taken care of, especially Carly, she could give birth at any time. You've clearly come here from Russia and have some issue with me, so leave them out this. What is it that you want?"

Back at Wyndemere, Jason, Lucky, and Nikolas got ready to leave. They had to get busy searching for the girls. As they were on the launch heading towards the mainland, they decided to meet back at Kelly's in an hour. The guys split up and went to all of the girls' usual hangouts – the houses, the docks, the park, back to the hospital, anywhere they might be. Jason was the first to arrive back at Kelly's and ran into Jax.

"Oh hey, Jason. Have you seen Carly today?"

"No, I haven't. Why?"

"Well, she left the hotel a few hours ago to come here and get something to eat, and I haven't seen her since. I thought maybe she had decided to go home and rest. She wasn't there so I thought I'd come by here and see if Mike has seen her," Jax shared.

"I was just about to go in and see Mike myself. Elizabeth and Aly met for lunch here today, but no one has seen them since," Jason told Jax.

Just as Jason and Jax approached Mike, Lucky and Nikolas walked in and joined them, telling Jason that they had come up with nothing.

"I saw Elizabeth and Aly earlier today; they had lunch and then left. I never saw Carly," Mike told them.

"Did anything out of the ordinary happen? Anyone strange lurking around?" Lucky asked Mike.

"No, nothing unusual. It's been a typical day."

"What time did Elizabeth and Aly leave?" Jason asked.

"Around 1 o'clock, I believe," Mike said.

"And when did Carly leave the hotel to come here?" Jason asked Jax.

"About the same time, around 1." Jax said.

"You think they are together?" Nikolas asked.

"I think it's definitely possible," said Jason.

"I agree, but where would the three of them go together?" Lucky added.

Just then Spinelli walked in. He could tell by the look on the men's faces that something was up.

Meanwhile in the house, Ivan continued sharing his knowledge of Aly and her family with her.

"What do you want from me?" she demanded to know.

"It's not so much what I want from you, it's what I want from your father," he said slyly. This guy was giving her the creeps.

"What could you possibly want from him? What did he ever do to you?" she questioned.

"You don't know much about your father, do you?" Ivan said with a chuckle.

She gave him a puzzled look. Her confusion was growing by the minute.

"Do you know why your parents moved here to the States?" he asked.

"Yeah, they moved here for their careers as doctors. They were helping in a research effort," she told him.

"That may be true, but that's not why they came here," he said, the evil twinkle in his eye grew.

"Well, why don't you enlighten me then? Why did they really come here?" she gave him a snotty tone.

"When you were growing up, you always had guards around, didn't you?" he asked nonchalantly.

"Yeah, but so do a lot of people in the city," she said, not sure at what he was getting at.

"You don't know why you had them, or what their purpose was?"

"Other than the obvious, I didn't think there was any other purpose. Will you just get to the point already? What do you want?" Again, she was being mouthy and it was about to cost her.

He moved in really close to her and smacked her across the face. She winced in pain. "Watch yourself little girl, taking that tone with me isn't in your best interest."

He walked over to the other side of the room and poured himself a drink. "Your father was involved in the Russian Mob once upon a time. "

"You're lying," she said with a glare. She didn't believe a single word out of this guy's mouth.

"Now, why would I do that? Your father used his medical degree to cover up his true identity as a mobster. He was very involved in the mob but when things got ugly, he started getting sloppy and he didn't cover up his tracks very well. See, he made one huge mistake, the one that sent him packing here to the States."

"We've been here for more than twenty years. You're just now finding us?" she asked in disbelief.

"Oh, on the contrary. We've known where to find you for quite some time. We've given your father several opportunities to make amends, but he refuses, so it was time that we take things into our own hands, "he informed her.

"So you kidnapped me and my friends?"

"Exactly. All your father needs to do is pay the ransom and we'll be able to release you and your friends," he said with a sly grin on his face.

"Sounds easy enough. I'm sure my father would be more the willing to cooperate, if he were ALIVE!" Aly screamed at him.

"What are you saying?" he asked very calmly.

"My parents are dead, and if you had truly been keeping an eye on my family, you'd know that," she continued screaming at him.

"Oh yes, the accident. I know all about that. See, they deceived you, your parents are very much alive."

"That is impossible! I was there! They were pronounced dead on the scene!" she screamed again. She was furious at him.

"For a highly intelligent girl, you sure are wrong an awful lot."

"Why are you doing this to me?" she asked, fighting the tears.

"I'm telling you the truth, Alexandra. Your parents are alive," Ivan told her as he held a picture of her parents in front of her, the digital date showing it was taken last week. She couldn't believe her eyes.

"How? How is this possible!?"

"Let's not get into the details, they really aren't important. What is really important is that I get my money," he said coldly.

"You are pathetic! I don't believe a word out of your mouth! My parents are dead, and all you can think of is getting your damn money!" she ranted.

"I told you to watch your tone with me," Ivan yelled. Then he smacked Aly upside the head with his gun in his hand, knocking her out.

Song: "Ordinary Miracle" by Sarah McLachlan


	20. Rescued

Chapter 20 - Save Me

"The Jackal suspects that something of an unpleasant nature is going on," Spinelli said as he approached Lucky, Jason, Nikolas, Jax and Mike. They were still standing at the counter at Kelly's, looking extremely concerned. Spinelli started to talk with the group.

"Your sister, Elizabeth, and Carly are all missing," Lucky told him.

"That is the most unfortunate news of the day," Spinelli said.

"They all disappeared around one o'clock this afternoon," Nikolas said to him.

Jason had a pondering look on his face, then he pulled Spinelli aside. "Did you ever install those tracking devices into their cell phones?"

"Indeed, Stone Cold," he said as he dashed over to a table, opened up his laptop and got to work. They spent most of the afternoon at Kelly's, surrounding Spinelli, waiting for any kind of news he could give them. The night grew near, so they moved their operation to Jason's penthouse.

Spinelli sat down on the couch in the penthouse. He knew that he didn't have much time to waste if they were going to find the girls. The longer it started to take, the more determined he was to come through for Stone Cold and the guys.

After tracking the cell phones all night long, Spinelli was finally able to give the guys something solid to go on. "The Jackal has located the last cell tower that picked up a signal from the damsels in distress. If we go there, we might be able to figure out our next move," he told them.

"Well, let's get going then," Jason said as he tucked his gun into his pants.

"Do you really think that's necessary?" Nikolas asked.

Lucky flashed his gun at his brother. "Gotta be prepared for anything."

Nikolas and Lucky got into his cop car while Spinelli and Jax joined Jason in his SUV. By the time they reached the cell tower, the women had been missing for a full twenty-four hour period. At the cell tower, Jason and Lucky both looked through binoculars to find any clues. Nikolas and Jax tried to help, but there wasn't much they could do but wait with the guys. They were in the middle of nowhere, and the girls could be anywhere at this point. Spinelli continued to work on his laptop, in hopes of picking up a weak signal from one of the cell phones. He wasn't going to give up.

At the house, Aly had finally regained consciousness. Her head throbbed with pain, and the blood that had run down her cheek had dried.

"So nice of you to join me this morning," Ivan said, tracing Aly's cheekbone with his finger.

"Don't touch me you son of a bitch!" Aly screamed at him. She was so angry that she wanted to get up and hit him.

Ivan slapped her across the face without hesitation. "Learn some respect, little girl!"

Aly fought hard to keep the tears from falling. She finally looked up at him and said, "You didn't think this through very well you know?"

"How do you figure?"

"Well, if you get away, I'm going to be able to identify you, easily. I'm sure I won't be forgetting your face anytime soon. Actually, I probably won't have to identify you because my boyfriend, who as I said before, is a police detective, _will _find me and you will go straight to jail," Aly told him.

"See, that is where you are wrong. I will get what I want, I will get away, and I'll go back to Russia and the PCPD won't stand a chance in hell trying to find me," he gave her an evil grin.

Downstairs in the basement, Carly and Elizabeth were struggling to stay awake. They were both too scared to sleep, even though they desperately needed to. They had managed to put aside all of their animosity. Elizabeth did what she could to keep Carly comfortable, and Carly tried to show as much appreciation as she could. They both wondered what was happening to their friend upstairs, worried sick about what Ivan could be doing to Aly.

"Elizabeth, I appreciate everything you are doing for me, trying to keep me calm. It means a lot to me. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Carly," Elizabeth said. "We are in this together, and we'll get out of it together, along with Aly. The guys will come for us, I know it. We just have to sit and wait."

"If you believe it, then so will I," Carly said. "I wish we knew what was going on with Aly upstairs. I'm really worried about her."

"Me too. Let's just think good thoughts," Elizabeth said. She got up from where she was sitting and went over to sit by Carly. They needed to draw their strength from one another if they were going to get through this.

The guys were still at the cell tower trying to decide on what their next move would be.

"Guys," Jason said, "there's a house in the distance. I saw it through my binoculars. Maybe it would be worth a look. What do you say?"

Lucky, Nikolas, Jax and Spinelli agreed, and the five guys headed in that direction.

Back at the house, Aly couldn't take it any longer. She needed to formulate her thoughts first. She had to ask Ivan, it was killing her. "What do you know about my parents' accident and the night they died?"

"Ah, the suspense is killing you, isn't it?" He gave an evil chuckle.

She glared at him. How could anyone be so mean? "Forget it, I don't want to know," she sighed. She was so frustrated about everything that was happening, and she was also worried how Elizabeth and Carly were holding up downstairs.

"Your parents knew that I was hot on their trail. They staged the whole accident. Don't you think it seems odd that they both died, yet you walked away with barely any scratches?" he asked.

It was true; she did walk away from the accident. The accident was so real to her, and it was hard for her to actually believe it was a set-up. She was there when they died. Surely, that couldn't have been faked.

He showed her the pictures again. She had to admit to herself, 'they looked so real.'

"They are alive, Aly. They lied to you to save themselves, and it was the only way they could protect you too, but that's not going to work," he said slyly.

"I don't believe you! They would never lie to me, not like this! They loved me too much to do this to me! You are lying!!"

He shoved one of the pictures in her face. "They look pretty alive to me," he said, laughing.

"You are lying! You are nothing but a sick bastard!" she yelled at him.

Again, Ivan backhanded Aly upside the head with his gun in his hand, knocking her out cold.

Seconds later, he heard the sound of vehicles approaching. He dashed out the door and took off in his own SUV, which was out of sight from any incoming vehicles.

The two vehicles pulled up to the house. The guys carefully entered the condemned house, Lucky and Jason with their guns ready. When it was apparent that no one was there, they called out for the ladies.

"Elizabeth? Carly?" Jason yelled.

"Aly?" Lucky yelled next. No response.

They continued to move through the downstairs of the two story house, shouting the girls' names.

"Carly?" Jax yelled.

"Noble Sister? Where are you?" Spinelli yelled.

Nikolas yelled, "Aly? Girls? We're here."

Finally, Elizabeth heard them. She was standing at the top of the basement stairs behind the door. "Carly! They're here! Jason is here!"

"You were right, Elizabeth. You never gave up, and you knew they would find us," Carly said with a smile for her new friend.

Elizabeth began pounding on the door,"Jason! We're down here!!" she yelled.

"Elizabeth? Is that you?" Jason asked at the basement door.

"Yes, it's me," she said, the joy and relief evident in her voice.

"Stand back, I'm going to kick in the door," he told her.

Elizabeth went back down to where Carly was sitting and helped her stand up. Jason finally kicked down the door. The guys stormed down the stairs to get them.

Jax went straight to Carly, hugging her and telling her how much he loved her. Jason went straight to Elizabeth.

"Where's Aly? Where is she?" Lucky asked frantically.

Carly and Elizabeth looked at each other, the fear still present in their eyes.

"Elizabeth, Carly, where is she?" Nikolas asked.

"Ladies, this is of the utmost importance. Where is my Noble Sister?" Spinelli asked.

Still the two women couldn't say. They didn't have any idea where in the house Ivan had taken her.

"Elizabeth, where is Aly? What did they do to her?" Lucky begged his ex-wife.

"They took her upstairs yesterday, we haven't seen her since," she told him, a tear trailing down her cheek. She stood there and hugged Jason. She didn't know what else to do.

Lucky took off up the stairs like a bolt of lightning. Nikolas was close behind him. He didn't want Lucky to go alone but Lucky was too fast for Nikolas. Once he lost sight of Lucky on the main floor, he just started looking around that floor again.

Back in the basement, Carly whenced in pain. "We've got to get her out of here," Jax said.

Jason went over to Carly, and he and Spinelli helped Jax carry Carly up the stairs and to the SUV that was outside. She was in too much pain to even attempt to walk up the stairs. Elizabeth made sure that nothing of theirs was left behind.

Once Carly was safely in the vehicle, Jason handed the keys to Jax and told him to go straight to General Hospital. Elizabeth went with Jax and Carly to give a report to the nurses that would be waiting for them. Jason and Spinelli went back inside to help Lucky and Nikolas in the search for Aly.

Nikolas kept yelling for Aly, and when Jason and Spinelli came back in the house, they followed Nikolas' voice and found him.

"Where's Lucky?" Jason asked. "I thought he was with you."

"No, I lost him pretty quickly and started looking around myself," Nikolas said.

"My sister is around here somewhere. Maybe the Princely One's brother can find her," Spinelli said.

As Nikolas met up with Jason and Spinelli downstairs, Lucky had made his way to the upstairs of the house. He carefully looked around each corner, making sure there wasn't someone there waiting for him. He had checked all of the rooms but one.

He slowly opened the door, not quite sure what kind of situation he was walking into. Once he opened the door, he saw Aly tied to the chair, her head down. He rushed to her side.

"Aly?" he said, as he lifted her head up, when he didn't get a response, he realized she was unconscious. He quickly untied her and picked her up. He carried her down the stairs as quick as he could.

Jason, Nikolas, and Spinelli heard a commotion and went back to the stairs. They couldn't believe their eyes when they saw Lucky with an unconscious Aly. Without a word, they went straight to the car, carefully putting Aly in.

Not wasting a minute and knowing every second counted, Lucky turned on his sirens and drove as fast as he could to General Hospital.

At General Hospital, Patrick and Robin waited for Aly's arrival. Once she arrived they would quickly stabilize her. All they knew right now was that she had a severe concussion. Tests needed to be run to be sure she didn't have a closed head wound.

Within minutes, Lucky came in with Aly, followed by Nikolas and Spinelli. Patrick and Robin took her into the ER and began their work on her.

Lucky, Nikolas, and Spinelli waited, eager to see her as soon as possible. Jason went to find Elizabeth and to check on Carly.

After what seemed like hours, Patrick finally came out to let the guys know how Aly was doing.

"Aly is stabilized. We're giving her fluids to get her hydrated. She is in and out of sleep and pretty groggy, but I think she'll be fine," Patrick said confidently.

"Can we see her?" Nikolas asked with concern.

"You can, but don't stay too long," Robin said. Then she went to finish up paper work at the nurse's station.

The three of them entered the room quietly. They didn't want to wake her if she was sleeping. Aly laid there, eyes closed. Her head was bandaged. She had needed stitches to close the large gash on her head by her hair line. The gash was a result of Ivan whacking her in the head with his gun in his hand.

She could feel their presence around her and struggled to open her eyes. When she opened them, she saw three of the most important men in her life.

"Welcome back to us, Noble Sister," Spinelli said. "You had us quite scared there. We didn't know what happened to you."

"But you guys found me, I mean us, and that's the most important thing. How are Elizabeth and Carly doing? I was really worried about them."

"Jason went to check on Carly, she had a rough time of it. Elizabeth came back to the hospital with Jax and Carly. She was going to try and keep Carly calm until they got to the hospital," Nikolas said. "I'm glad that you are going to be ok. I couldn't lose another person that is close to me." He gave her a smile.

She smiled back. "How is Carly doing?"

"Stone Cold went to check on the Valkerie. We will let you know once we find out," Spinelli replied.

Lucky looked at Aly, then at Nikolas and Spinelli. "Guys, could I get a moment alone with her?" he asked.

They agreed and left Lucky alone with Aly. Before he could say a word, Patrick came back to check on her once again.

"How is my patient?" he asked, with his usual cocky grin present on his face.

"Why are you the doctor of record?" Aly asked, seemingly irritated by his presence.

"Well because you had head trauma and that is my specialty."

"Yeah, and?" she said, with a half grin on her face, teasing him now.

"And because you are my child's future physician, and I only want the best for my child. You are the best pediatrician General Hospital has ever seen. I figured the best should take care of the best," he informed her in all seriousness.

She laughed, "Are you kidding me with that?"

"I'm glad you haven't lost your sense of humor. How about you are my friend and friends take care of each other?" he said, with honesty.

"Ok, friend, take care of me and get this IV out of me."

"Aly, you need the pain meds so you can rest more comfortably" he told her.

"If you won't take the IV out, I will. I'd rather die than be addicted to pain meds again," she said angrily as she pulled out the IV herself. Lucky looked at her. He understood where she was coming from, but he also realized that she needed to have the medicine to heal her body.

Just then Robin walked in. "What are you doing?"

She looked at Robin, then back at Patrick. "Please write in my chart that I am not to have pain meds unless it is absolutely necessary," she demanded. Patrick did as she asked and noted the instructions on her chart.

Patrick and Robin looked at her chart again, then they headed out the door. "Lucky, don't stay too long, she needs to rest," Robin said and then shut the door.

"Finally, alone at last," Aly said, smiling at Lucky. She was just happy to be there again with him. She had begun to doubt that would happen again, between their fight and the kidnapping, courtesy of Ivan and his cohorts.

He sat down next to her bed and held her small hand in both of his much larger ones. "Aly, I need to apologize," he started.

"Lucky, not now. We do have to talk, and we will but now is not the right time. I just want you to hold me."

Lucky crawled into the bed and wrapped his arms around her. Aly fell asleep before another word could be spoken.

Patrick and Robin came back by to check on Aly one last time before going home from the night. They opened the door to Aly's room and saw her resting peacefully. Lucky was still lying next to her.

"Should we bend visiting hour rules?" Robin asked quietly.

"Yes, this is the best medicine Aly could get," Patrick said. They shut the door again.

Spinelli and Nikolas stayed outside of Aly's room for the entire night. They didn't want to leave Lucky and Aly. Spinelli was still worried about his sister, and Nikolas had been so frightened that he was going to lose someone else that he loved so much. He didn't want to stay away from her. She was there for him, and he needed to return the gesture. Nikolas and Spinelli took turns staying awake during the night, getting coffee for the other when it was needed. The Jackal and the Princely One had started to bond as friends, all because of Aly.

The next day, Aly was feeling much better. The guys had gone home to shower, change and do what they needed to do. Several people had been by to see her, including Paige and Zoe. Elizabeth had called Paige to let her know what had happened. Sonny was one of the people that stopped by as well.

"Jason and I are going to take care of this," he told her.

"Sonny, that isn't necessary. This doesn't concern the two of you, and I don't want you to get caught up in it," she told him.

"It does concern us. They took Carly and Elizabeth, too which means something. I am upping your security, too."

"You still have guards on me?" she asked, unaware that Sonny had been keeping an eye on her.

"Yes, Aly, you are a part of my family, now and forever. I will always do whatever I can to protect you, and that means having guards assigned to you."

"No offense, Sonny, but where the hell were they the other day when we were kidnapped?" Aly asked. She knew that Max and Milo were always with Sonny. She was still quite surprised that Sonny still had guards watching out for her.

"I've already fired those guards, and I will find someone who can do the job correctly. I'll put Max with you if I have to," he said.

"I am dating a cop, you know?" she said to him.

"But that doesn't mean you are protected. Lucky can't always protect you," Sonny told her.

"See that's the thing, neither can you or the guards."

"Aly, don't argue with me on this," he said in his most fatherly tone.

Aly smiled at him. She was thankful to have people in her life that cared so much for her. Sonny gave her a hug and left.

A few minutes later, Mac Scorpio arrived. "Hi Aly, I'm glad to hear you are safe and doing much better."

"Thank you, I appreciate it," she answered. "What can I do for you?"

"I'm here to take your statement, Aly, about what happened, if you're up to it," Mac said.

"Yes, Mac, I am. Let's get started."

"What happened? Please start from the beginning," Mac asked.

"I was having lunch with Elizabeth at Kelly's. We finished eating. We headed outside towards our cars to go to GH for work. Outside the door, we ran into Carly, and we talked with her for a minute or two. Out of nowhere, these guys grabbed the three of us and shoved us into a van."

"Did you get a look to see who they were, or if you recognized them?"

"No, I didn't," Aly said. "They brought us to an abandoned house and put us in the basement. We were getting uptight, not having any signals on our phones to call for help. We were hearing voices through the heating vents, then Carly started panicking and going into false labor. We were able to calm her down. A short time later, one of the guys came downstairs and took me upstairs. I didn't know what happened to them afterwards. The man tied me up and held me at gunpoint. The rest is pretty fuzzy. The next thing I know, I'm here."

"Do you remember anything special about these guys? Did they say what they wanted?"

"Not that I remember. I have no idea what the whole thing was about." She felt bad about lying to the Police Commissioner, but she had no choice. She didn't want to get anyone else involved and in danger at this moment.

"Thank you for all your help, Aly," Mac said. "If I have any follow up questions, may I call you?"

"Definitely. Take care and talk with you soon."

"Talk to you soon," Mac replied, and with that he left her hospital room.

After giving her statement, Aly was napping when an unexpected visitor came by. She was awoken by a knock at the door. She opened her eyes and was surprised to see who was standing at the door.

"Alexis? What are you doing here?" she asked politely. "Please sit down."

Alexis took a chair. "I had some questions for you," she said. "How are you feeling today?"

"I'm getting better every minute. I already gave my statement to Mac. I'm not sure what else I can tell you," Aly said.

"Well, I just need to know that this had nothing to do with Sonny."

"You're worried that a mob war is going to start, and you want to protect Kristina and Molly?"

"I am, and you too. I have to protect my girls. I just needed to hear it for myself that this has nothing to do with Sonny," Alexis admitted.

"Alexis, I can't promise anything but I honestly don't believe this has anything to do with Sonny, or anyone else besides me. This guy hadn't ever heard of the Corinthos name."

"That is somewhat of a relief. I'm sorry that this has happened to you, though," she said.

"Yeah, me too" Aly said solemnly.

"We're gonna nail this guy, Aly. He's not going to get to you again," Alexis assured her.

"How are the girls?" Aly asked, changing the subject. She didn't want to talk about the recent events any longer than necessary.

"They are great. They really love you; you've been the best pediatrician they've ever had. You have been amazing with them."

"Thank you, I appreciate that, Alexis. And how is Sam?" Aly asked.

"Aly, no need to be polite, I know you don't really care about Sam, not after what happened," Alexis warned.

"I do care, actually. What happened, happened. Sam didn't set out to hurt me intentionally. Sure, I was hurt, but Logan was mostly to blame for that. Sam was hurt too; people make mistakes. I'm just sorry that so many people ended up hurt. I can't hold any grudges though, Alexis. I've made peace with Logan. Lucky and I have found a way to move on together," Aly said empathetically.

"I would have liked to have met your mother, she did a great job with you," Alexis said with a smile.

Aly smiled back, "You've done a great job with your girls, as well, including Sam. I know I don't really know her, but I know that she is a good person. Like I said before, people make mistakes. You can't judge a person's character by the mistakes they've made."

"Thank you for saying that, Aly. You take care." She said, got up out of her chair and left.

Lucky came back just as Alexis was leaving. He could tell that Aly was tired so he sat and watched her sleep.

Just a short time after noon, Dr. Lee came by the room. Lucky was still there, and Aly was awake.

Aly sat up in bed, "Hi Kelly."

"How are you?" Kelly asked.

"Better," Aly said with a smile.

"I thought you might want to go and see Carly, she had the baby earlier this morning."

"Of course I want to," Aly said, nearly jumping out of her bed.

Lucky helped her out of bed while Kelly pushed the wheel chair into the room. Aly gave Kelly a questioning look when she saw the wheel chair.

"Hospital policy, you know that," Kelly reminded her. "We don't need you to have an accident, or trip and fall while you are a patient. You more than anybody else should know that."

"Yes I do," Aly said. "Here we go," she said as she got into the wheel chair. They left the room.

Lucky wheeled Aly down the hall and to the elevator to go to the maternity ward. They arrived at Carly's room and peeked in. Carly was holding her new baby and Jax was nearby, cooing over the birth of his first child.

"Hey!" Jax exclaimed. He went to Aly and kissed her on the forehead. "I'm so glad you are okay."

Aly smiled at him, and then looked to Carly, "How are mommy and baby?"

"We are great. Do you want to hold her?" Carly asked.

"Absolutely."

Jax handed the baby to Aly. "Hello precious," she said, in awe. "What is your name, baby girl?"

Carly and Jax had smiles on their faces that stretched from ear to ear. Aly just looked at them.

"Carly and I picked her name just after we found out we were having a girl," he said.

"Her name is Alexandra," Carly beamed.

Aly lost her breath. She was astonished.

"We're going to call her Lexi," Jax said.

"You really named her after me?" Aly asked, still not believing it.

"We did. You mean the world to us, Aly. We wanted her to have a name that meant something to us," Carly told her.

"I don't know what to say, "Aly said.

"You don't have to say anything, we do have something we want to ask you and you do have to say something then," Carly said.

"We want to know if you'll be Lexi's godmother." Jax asked.

"Wow. I, I would be honored," Aly said, looking down at the sweet baby she had in her arms. She had never felt such happiness in her life, just knowing this cute little baby girl had her name. Out of all the babies she has delivered, this one is the most important. She smiled at Lexi, then at Jax, Carly and Lucky. That's what Aly felt at that moment, very fortunate to be alive and surrounded with some of the most amazing people in her life.


	21. Cowboy Take Me Away

Chapter 21 - Cowboy Take Me Away

After her visit with Carly, Jax, and her new goddaughter, Lexi, Aly went back to her room to learn that she could go home. While she welcomed the thought of being in her own bed, she wasn't sure she wanted to be alone.

"Ready to go?" Lucky asked her as he reentered the room.

"Yeah, all ready," Aly said.

They looked around the room, just to be sure that they got everything.

"Let's go," Lucky said.

Nadine came in with another wheelchair. This time, it was her ticket to be out of there. Aly knew it was hospital procedure to be wheeled out to the car, so she reluctantly got into the wheelchair. She figured, no sense in fighting it.

"It's so good to see you going home," Nadine said. "We were all so worried about you. Can't wait for you to come back to work, but that's only when you're sure you can."

"Thanks, Nadine," Aly said.

"I'm going to get the car. I'll see you downstairs," Lucky said. He kissed her and headed to the car. Nadine continued to proceed to the elevator and downstairs.

"I'm so glad that you are happy, Aly. You deserve all the happiness in the world. It was good that you and Lucky found each other. You seem so right together."

"I still can't believe it happened," Aly said. "Sometimes, I think it's all a dream but I know I'm not dreaming, and it's real." She looked up at Nadine. "How are things going with you and my brother?"

"Really good, thanks for asking. I really adore him. He's a great guy. We are happy too."

At this point, the elevator doors opened. There was Lucky with the car. Nadine stopped at the passenger door and made sure that Aly got in okay. Aly waved to Nadine as she drove away with Lucky.

As they were driving home, Aly's cell phone went off. She reached down and saw that it was Sonny.

"Hi Aly, just wanted to let you know that I've had Jason increase your security. While I'm no longer in a position to see to things, Jason is now and will be overseeing your protection."

"Thank you, Sonny, but as I said before, it's really not necessary."

"You being kidnapped wasn't necessary either, don't fight me on this Aly, you aren't going to win," Sonny said.

Aly knew it was pointless to argue with him so she changed the subject, "How are you doing? I heard about the agreement Jason forced you into. I understand the reasoning but I still feel it's cruel to keep you from your children," she said.

"Yes it is, and I feel like I should be doing something for you, to find the men that took you, Carly and Elizabeth, but now I'm powerless to do anything about it," he responded, not giving away his true feelings on the matter.

"I know, but the important thing is that the guys found us, and that we are ok."

"That's true, for now. I just wanted to call and see how you were doing. Give me a call soon. I would like to see you again. You are like a daughter to me."

"That means the world to me. I'll call you soon; I'll talk to you later. Bye."

"Bye," Sonny said.

Lucky looked at Aly. "Everything ok?"

"Yes," Aly said with a smile. "They are now. Take me home." And with that, they drove the rest of the way to Fox Hollow.

Once they arrived at Aly's, she felt relieved to finally be home. Carter welcomed her home with open arms.

"Miss Aly, I'm so glad to have you home, safe and sound. I've had the chef prepare your favorites; there'll be plenty for you, Master Spinelli, and Detective Spencer."

Aly gave him a loving look, "Thank you, Carter, you're the best. I'm so thankful to be home."

Carter excused himself, and Aly took Lucky by the hand and led him into the study. The two sat down on the couch, Lucky pulled Aly close to him and wrapped his arms around her.

"Can we talk about what happened before you were missing?" Lucky asked her.

"We can, but we don't have to," she said. She looked at him and realized it was something he needed to do, to talk about.

"We do have to. It's important that I try to explain myself and apologize for being a fool. I'm not sure I can find the right words to express how truly sorry I am. The truth is, I felt threatened by your relationship with Nikolas. Every time something good happens to me, I find a way to screw it up. I don't want that to happen this time, not with you, although I'm not sure I didn't already screw it up."

"Lucky, I love you. You haven't screwed anything up," she said, rubbing his back, comforting him. This was clearly hard for him. But she was proud of him for taking this step and talking with her about it. It took a lot of courage and self confidence to do this.

"And I love you. As far as Emily goes, you have to understand that she was my best friend for a long time. And I loved her and I miss her. You do remind me of her, but I know you are your own person and your similarities to her aren't what made me fall in love with you. I fell in love with you because you have an amazing heart, and an incredible ability to see the good in everything, "he lightly touched her face. He knew he had to keep going, to get it all out.

"Do you think you're still grieving for Emily?" she asked, trying to figure out how to help him make her understand.

He got up and paced the floor. "It's possible - I never really dealt with losing her. With everything that has happened this past year with Elizabeth and me, then with Sam, and with Nikolas and his brain tumor, I haven't had much time to just sit and think. Watching you take care of Nikolas was like having Emily back. You handled him the same way she would have," he explained.

Aly's eyes followed him back and forth, but she sat still on the couch. "So it hit too close to home for you?"

"Yeah, but I realize now that it's not the same. The roles are reversed now, "he admitted.

"What do you mean?" she asked, confused as to what he was referring to.

"Before, it was me being best friends with the girl that was the love of my brother's life. Here I am and the roles have changed - now it's my brother being best friends with the girl that is the love of _my_ life. "

"Lucky, I understand all of that and how surreal it must be. What I just don't know about is if I can live up to the standards that Emily set forth," Aly said.

He sat back down and took her hands in his. "No one is holding you to any standards. If it seems like I am, I'm sorry, this is difficult for me. Aly, you are your own amazing person who surpasses anyone's standards. You and I, we have something really special. What we have, it's better than love, it's larger than life. There is no word for it, and words like amazing or incredible don't seem to do it any justice. I am sorry for the way I acted. I am sorry for making you feel like you had to live up to some standard."

Aly looked deep into Lucky's eyes. They had indeed come a long way. "Apology accepted," she said, then kissed him with such passion that her heart could burst at any moment. She needed him and wanted him. She realized there was no use in wasting any more time.

A few minutes later, Carter announced that dinner was served. Aly led Lucky to the dining and the two joined Spinelli at the table for their meal. They all sat down.

Spinelli didn't miss a beat. "Greetings, Noble Sister and her Rescuer. It's wonderful to have you back home again. Is there anything I can do or get for you?"

"No," Aly said. "My dear brother, just sit tight. Enjoy dinner with us. What has been going on with you lately? How's Nadine? Things going well?"

That brought a smile to the Jackal's face.

"She is doing wonderful. She brings a smile to my face, and makes the world and everything around it great. I have to thank you for pushing me to ask her out. I've never been happier."

Lucky couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You pushed him to do that?" He had a teasing smile on his face as he looked at Aly. "I'm very impressed. You want your brother to be happy, and you knew Nadine would make him happy. I'm so proud of you." He looked back at Spinelli. "So what are you and Nadine doing tonight?"

"We are going to a movie and then over to Kelly's for a snack later." He looked at Lucky and back at his sister. "My sister and her rescuer are fortunate to have found each other. I'm glad to see that you are both happy together."

"Thank you, Spinelli. That is so sweet to hear," Aly said.

They finished dinner. Spinelli went to change his clothes for his date with Nadine. About ten minutes later, he was saying goodnight and headed out the door, to see the girl of his dreams for the night.

After dinner, Aly and Lucky cuddled up together on the couch. A movie was on the television but neither of them was paying much attention to it. They were focused on each other, and nothing else mattered.

"It's getting late, I should probably go," Lucky said.

"I, um, yeah….you should go," Aly stumbled over her words. She didn't want Lucky to go.

"What were you about to say?" he asked her.

"I was just, I was going to ask you if you'd stay with me tonight, but I thought maybe that would be too much to ask," she said shyly, looking to the floor.

He lifted her chin up. "Of course I'll stay with you, and it is not too much to ask," he said, then pulled her into a hug. He could feel that she was very tense, and she shouldn't be left alone in her room tonight.

"I just don't want to be alone, I need you here with me tonight," she said, her words muffled as she buried her head deeper into his chest, fighting the tears that were filling her eyes.

"Shh..I'm right here, I'm not going anywhere. Aly, you need to let it out; you can't keep it in forever. Please…," he said, stroking her long dark hair.

She pulled back and looked up at the man who had become her true hero. He wiped away the tears from her cheeks with his thumbs, as he cradled her head in his hands. They got up from the sofa and looked at each other. Aly took his hands into hers and turned to lead him upstairs.

Once upstairs, the two entered her bedroom. She walked over to the fireplace and looked at the pictures that graced her mantle. A picture of her and Spinelli, one of her parents, a picture of her and all the girls from the girls night in, a Polaroid of her with baby Lexi, and a picture of her, cheek to cheek with Lucky, his arms around her waist. Lucky walked over to her and hugged her from behind.

She turned to him, and spoke softly, "Earlier tonight, you told me what made you fall in love with me and now it's my turn," she started.

She took a deep breath. "When I first met you, you made it so easy to trust you, and by trusting you, I learned how to trust myself. After what happened with Logan, I wasn't sure I could trust anyone ever again and for me, that meant not loving anyone," her voice was shaky now, the memories of what happened were harder to revisit than she expected.

She continued. "But you changed that for me. You taught me about taking chances."

She moved to the bay window seat and sat down, Lucky followed and sat next to her. She held his hand in hers and looked him straight in the eye. " I know that if the sky fell down or if the waters washed away, you'd still love me and that is the only promise I need, and I know will never be broken. If I've learned anything this year, it's that you can lose everything in a single heartbeat. I've come too close too many times. I know I can't predict the future, but I do know that I don't want to have any regrets."

She stood again and walked back over to the mantle and looked at the picture of her parents. "I don't want to regret not loving you completely. Someone beautiful once said that when you leave without a warning, you lose your last chance to say I love you." She turned and looked at him again, he now stood beside her. She touched his face. "I don't want to ever miss a chance to tell you or show you how much I love you. I want you to make love to me; I want you to take me away to a better place."

He looked at her, trying to process what she had just told him. He loved her and felt the same way; he didn't want to have any regrets either.

"Make love to me, Lucky," she whispered into his ear. He had wanted to, he had dreamt of making love to her so many times.

He kissed her, slowly and passionately, "God, I love you," he whispered between the kisses he planted down her neck.

Their first time together like this would change things completely. Aly had finally let herself be free and had given herself completely to Lucky. He knew what a huge step that was for her, what it meant for their relationship. Their love was very deep, and very, _very _real.

Lucky held Aly in his arms, "Are you okay?"

"Better than ever," she said with a smile. "I love you, Lucky, nothing will stop me from loving you completely, in every way that I can."

When the sunlight filled the sky in the morning, Aly was already up and dressed, ready for the day.

"Good morning, sleepy head," she said, and then gave Lucky a kiss.

"Good morning, beautiful," he smiled. "About last night," he started to say as he sat up in bed.

"Last night was amazing," she said, beaming with joy.

"It was," he agreed and smiled back up at her. He would like nothing more than to stay that way with her for the whole day.

Aly gave him another kiss. "I've got to get going, I'll call you later," she said and got up to go.

"Where are you going? You're not going to work, are you?" he asked in disbelief.

"I'm just going in for a few hours, I have some paperwork to take care of and just one appointment," she informed him.

"Aly, you just went through hell and back. Do you think it's necessary to go back to work so soon?" he inquired, concerned for her for obvious reasons.

"I can't put my life on hold every time something bad happens. I'm fine, and work is therapeutic," she said without skipping a beat. She smiled at him. She needed some sort of sanity, otherwise she'd go crazy.

"You'll call me later?" he asked, giving in.

"You can count on it," she said, then left.

Back at the hospital, Robin and Patrick were bantering back and forth about their new video blogs about the pregnancy, and whose blog was better.

"Sometimes I wish I had never started this to compete against you," Patrick told her. "I should have just left it alone and let you do what you were going to do. But then the competitive streak comes out in me, and I just had to do it."

Robin laughed and gave him a kiss. "I know you couldn't resist it. Believe me, if the situation was reversed, I would probably do the same thing. That's why we get along so well, we are so much alike, especially with the competing, and sometimes it gets us in trouble."

"Yes it sure does. I'm going to try not to look at your blog again. I've got some rounds to do," Patrick said. "I'll see you later." He leaned over and gave her a kiss.

"See you later," Robin said. She continued looking at the charts that were in front of her. She was so involved in her paperwork that she never noticed Elizabeth coming in to the Nurses station.

"Hey there, Robin. Can I help you find something?"

Robin jumped. "No, hi Elizabeth. I was just studying a little girl's chart that Patrick and I are consulting on. How are you? Have you completely recovered from the kidnapping?" She was genuinely concerned about her friend.

"Mostly. I still have nights where I'm awake, and Jason is so good with me. He calms me down and gets me to sleep. He tells me that he'll always be there, and he'll never let anything happen to me. I love him so much for it."

"He is your knight in shining armor. You waited a long time for this to happen, and now that it did, you deserve all the happiness in the world," Robin said.

"Thanks, Elizabeth. I should get going. I have a consult in five minutes. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Robin." Elizabeth starting putting away the charts. She looked up and heard the voice that makes her heart soar.

"Hello, Elizabeth," he said.

"Hi, Jason," she said. "What brings you here today?"

"I was thinking about you and decided to stop by. I'm still a little worried about you, with the effects of the kidnapping. I want to make sure you're ok."

She touched his hand. "Yes, I'm really ok. Thank you so much for coming to see me. I love you for it. Shouldn't you be at the coffeehouse right now?"

"I'm on my way there now. I'll see you, Cam and Jake at the house later."

She stepped down from the Nurses station, and gave him a hug and kiss. "See you tonight." And with that, Jason headed out.

The elevator opened as Elizabeth looked up, and she saw Nikolas walking towards her.

"Hi Elizabeth," he said.

"Hey, Nikolas. How are you feeling?"

"Pretty good now, thanks to you and Patrick. I have my life back. Unfortunately without Emily, but I know now that I need to live my life, for myself, my family and Spencer. I still have a lot to live for."

"And you do. You are very lucky to be alive. I'm happy you are still here with us."

"Thanks. I have to head to my office. Got some things to do with Emily's foundation. I'll talk to you a bit later," Nikolas said.

"See you later," she said.

Nikolas headed down the hall towards his office. As he rounded the corner, he almost ran straight into Paige and Zoe.

"Hi, Nikolas. How are you?"

"I'm doing pretty well. How are you, Paige? What brings you by?"

"I'm good, too. Today is Zoe's first appointment with Dr. Aly. She needs to get checked before I put her in school next year."

"That's great." He looked down at Zoe. "How are you, Zoe? You look so pretty today." He flashed that grin of his, the one that makes Paige think about wanting more than just being friends with him. Something she knows she can't have.

"Thank you, Mr. Cassadine. My mommy picked out my outfit," Zoe proudly said. "It is one of my favorite outfits." She laughed, so did Nikolas and Paige.

"Good choice, Paige. She looks great."

"Thanks, Nikolas. I've been meaning to come and see you about the play date. Maybe I'll stop in after our appointment."

"Looking forward to it. Good luck, Zoe. See you both later." And with that, Nikolas walked around the corner and was gone. Paige just stood there, wanting to go after him, but knowing that she couldn't.

She turned her attention back to Zoe. "Let's go find Dr. Aly." And off they went.

Aly was reading papers in her office when she heard a knock on the door. "Come in," she said.

Paige and Zoe entered the office. "Hi Aly, how are you?"

"I'm pretty good. Still recovering, but doing much better. Thanks for asking. How are you today, Zoe?"

"I'm doing fabulous," Zoe said. "Bigger and better and best." She started giggling.

"Zoe, I don't know if Dr. Aly knows High School Musical 2." She looked over at Aly. "It's one of the songs in the movie."

"Would you like to come over and watch it one night with us?" Zoe asked.

"I would love to, Zoe. Thanks." She smiled at her. Aly hoped that one day, she would be so fortunate to have a little girl, much like Zoe.

"Let's get started," Aly said to Paige. "I would like you to fill out as much information on the forms as possible today. As you're doing that, you and Zoe can come into the exam room, and I'll start examining her. How does that sound?"

"Fabulous," Zoe said. All three of them laughed. They went into the exam room, and Aly got started.

Aly didn't find anything unusual, not that she expected to. Paige was a wonderful mother, and she knew that Paige would see to it that Zoe was a healthy and growing little girl. She did the regular check-up that she would give any five year old.

"You look great, and you're very healthy, Zoe," Aly said. "Paige, please bring her back for another check up in six months."

"I will," Paige said. "Thanks, Dr. Aly." She winked and smiled at Aly. "If you have another minute, I have something I needed to ask you about."

"Sure. Zoe, let's come back out to the other room, and play with some of the toys. Your mom and I will be over here a few feet away."

"Thanks, Dr. Aly." Zoe ran out of the room and got a toy, and then she sat down and started playing.

"Aly, I wanted to ask you about Nikolas. He seems like such a nice guy. What is his story, if you don't mind me asking?" Paige said.

"It's a long story," Aly said. "The shortened version is that he lost the love of his life on Halloween, and has not gotten over her. They were together for a long time and had an amazing bond. One of these days, we'll talk about it. Why, are you interested in him?" She smiled at her friend.

"Well, he seems like a great guy, and someone like that shouldn't be alone. He had invited Zoe and me out for a play date one of these days, with him and Spencer."

A big smile crossed Aly's face. "I think that's great. Besides, Zoe and Spencer need to have more friends than the parents in their lives, don't you think?"

"Yes, that's a good point. I didn't think about it that way. I ran into him on my way to your office, and he mentioned the play date again and to stop by if I wanted to schedule something. Maybe I will."

"I think you should, but that's up to you," Aly said. "Zoe is doing fantastic, and she's strong and healthy. Keep up the great work."

"Thanks," Paige said, "for everything. I'm going to head out if we're done."

"We are. I'll talk to you later, Paige. Bye, Zoe. I promise to come over and watch High School Musical 2 with you really soon."

Zoe gave Aly a hug. "Thanks, Dr. Aly. See you soon."

"Bye," Aly said.

"Bye," Paige said, as they left Aly's office. As she started walking along, she thought about Nikolas and his lost love. She knew how sad that was, having gone through losing a love too soon as well. Then again maybe Aly was right. Spencer and Zoe needed some other kid interaction instead of with their parents. Paige walked along a bit more, smiling to her. She couldn't wait to see Nikolas and that fabulous smile of his again. She knew where she was heading before she left the hospital.


	22. Who Needs Pictures?

Chapter 21 - Cowboy Take Me Away Chapter 22 – Who Needs Pictures

Paige and Zoey headed back to the Nurses station. She was anxious to see Nikolas again, but at the same time, she was nervous and a little scared. She didn't want to come on strong because that's not her nature. She wanted to enjoy the moments she gets to see him - she wasn't going to let her heart get ahead of her mind. She thought he was truly a great guy, and she wasn't sure how to approach him, especially about the play date they were going to set up.

As Paige and Zoey got to the Nurses station, they ran into Kelly. "Hey, Kelly, how are you?"

"Pretty good. Hi, Zoey. How are you? Did you get to see Dr. Aly today?" Kelly smiled at Zoey.

"Yes, I did. I LOVE Dr. Aly. She's… fabulous," and Zoey giggled. Paige just gave Zoey a look as if to say, 'enough, Zoey, not everyone knows High School Musical.'

"Is that from High School Musical?" Kelly asked. Zoey looked at her with wonder. "My niece is about your age, and she listens to the music all the time."

"It sure is, Miss Kelly." She leaned over to Paige and said, "Mommy, Miss Kelly is so nice." She didn't whisper it, but didn't say it very loud either, just in her little child voice.

"Who is your favorite, Zoey?" Kelly asked her.

"Gabriella. I like Sharpay but she is too pushy."

"We don't like pushy girls, do we?" Kelly said.

Zoey shook her head. "No, we don't."

Kelly smiled at them again. "We can talk more about the movie later, Zoey." She turned back to Paige. "What can I help you with?"

"I ran into Nikolas earlier, and he asked me to stop by for something, however I have a slight problem… Which direction am I going?" Paige laughed.

"I'm so sorry, Paige," Kelly said, laughing with her. "Here I'm just assuming you know the hospital so well like the rest of us. Go back towards Aly's office, but instead of turning to go into her office, keep going straight. Nikolas' office is down the other end of the hallway."

"Thanks, Kelly. I owe you. See you later."

"Bye, Miss Kelly," Zoey said.

"Bye," Kelly waved at them as they walked away. She went back to looking through the files that Robin left there earlier, and she tried to make some sense of them.

Paige and Zoey started off back towards Aly's office. As they passed, Paige looked in, but Aly wasn't there. She couldn't believe how fast Aly disappeared since they had only been out of her office for about ten minutes. They kept walking towards Nikolas' office. Paige had to keep her focus, and not jump at the first offer for the kids to get together for a play date. She had to take her time, enjoy the moment and the time she gets to talk with him, and just have some fun.

She saw his name on the door – Nikolas Cassadine, the Emily Quartermaine Foundation. She knocked on the door. "Come in," he said.

As she walked in, she saw Nikolas sitting at his desk, and a couple of empty chairs on the opposite side of the desk. Immediately, he got up and came towards her to give her a handshake and to say hello to Zoey.

"Hello, Paige. Hi Zoey." He was genuinely happy to see her and Zoey again.

"Hey, Nikolas. How are you? What a great office," Paige said, as she looked around.

"Thank you," he said. "Please sit down. How was your appointment with Aly?"

They sat down on two chairs, across from Nikolas. "Dr. Aly says that Zoey is a perfectly healthy, growing girl." She smiled at Zoey.

"Glad to hear that. She is a special girl. Aly is the best pediatrician in the hospital, and a close personal friend. You'll grow to love her, if you don't already."

"I think she is fantastic, and she's so good with Zoey."

He turned to her daughter and gave her all of his attention. He wanted to focus more on Zoey and forget that Paige was still in the room, but that was nearly impossible. There was something about Paige that kept him interested just enough to want to know more about her. "Zoey, I have a question for you. What else do you like besides High School Musical?"

Zoey gave a quick glance at her mom, as if to say, is it ok to answer. Paige read her mind and said, "You can answer Mr. Nikolas. It's ok."

She looked back at Nikolas. "I love horses. My horse, Callie is at Grandma and Papa's farm in Montana. That seems so far away right now. I miss her so much. Mommy, when can we go and see her?"

"We will see her soon, honey. Don't worry. She won't forget about you."

"What kind of horse is she, Paige?"

"She's a black Arabian, and she's six years old. My parents and brother are taking care of her now that Zoey and I are out here."

"She sounds like she's a great horse, Zoey. I am sure she can't wait to see you again."

Paige gave Nikolas a knowing smile. "Thank you."

"Then I have a proposition for both you and Zoey," Nikolas said.

"You do?" Paige looked surprised for a minute and regained her composure quickly. Even though she knew she stopped there with the purpose of setting up a play date, she didn't believe that he would actually want to go through with it.

"Why don't we set up a play date for Zoey and Spencer? You could come to Wyndemere, and we can go riding on the horses. There are some truly beautiful trails on the island that we can take."

"Oh can we, Mommy? Please?" Zoey looked from Paige to Nikolas and back again.

"We would enjoy that, and thank you for asking. Let me think about when we can do it," Paige took a cue from the back of her mind, not to jump at the first chance. She learned that she needed to enjoy the moment but not to rush things, if they were meant to be. "I need to check out my schedule. We could set up a Friday afternoon in a week or two. Maybe we can meet at the park. This way the kids can play, and we can sit and talk. If you don't mind, I'd like to work up to going to Wyndemere and taking the horses out for a ride."

"That sounds perfect. It's a deal." There was something about Paige that he thought was special, whether it was the way she treated Zoey with such love, affection and strength, or the way she was speaking to him, like he was the only person that mattered at that moment.

"I need to come back next week and take care of a few things, so maybe I'll run into you then, if not before." Paige smiled at him. He was really very easy to talk to, and she liked that about him. "Thank you for the invitation to go riding. We will take you up on that. I know Zoey won't be able to wait too long." She looked at Zoey. "Say goodbye to Mr. Nikolas, we have to get going."

"Goodbye, Mr. Nikolas," Zoey said, with her big, infectious smile. She walked over to him and gave him a hug. She didn't need to ask Paige if it was ok, she did it on her own. Paige was just as surprised as Nikolas was.

He hugged her back. "Bye, Zoey. I'll see you soon. Paige, it was great to see you again. Let me give you my card for the office, in case you wanted to call the next time you were in the hospital. Feel free to stop by again."

"Thank you, Nikolas. That is really sweet of you. Talk to you later."

"Bye," he said as they walked out of his office. There was something about her that he liked. He couldn't figure it out quite yet, but as he sat down, he realized that he was smiling. He hadn't done that in a long time, not since losing Emily at the Ball and then again during his surgery, and it felt good.

He sat and thought about Emily. He still missed her, and she would always be a part of his life somehow. He knew that in some respect she was still guiding him and giving him the strength to go through life without her. He looked at her picture.

He wished that he could still hold her, touch her and kiss her, but he knew that wasn't possible anymore. He lovingly looked at her picture again.

"Emily, I miss you. I still feel your presence and feel you guiding me. You will always be the great love of my life, but I know that I need to move on. Please help me to do that. I'll keep the love that we shared in my heart forever." He touched his fingers to his mouth in a kiss, and touched his fingers on her picture. "I'll love you forever, my dear Emily."

He knew he made the right decision for himself, Spencer and his family. He set the picture back down, regained his focus and returned to the papers he was looking at before Paige and Zoey stopped by.

Paige and Zoey headed towards home. On the way there, they decided to take a detour and stopped at the Metro Court for something to eat.

They went inside. Paige hadn't been back there for a couple of months, since they took the apartment from Mike at Kelly's. They went into the restaurant and sat down. The same waiter was there from the night that they arrived in Port Charles. He remembered them, asked how they were making out, and how they were doing.

"It's so nice to see you and your daughter again," the waiter, Tom said.

"It's nice to come back here. The restaurant is so nice, and I loved it here," Paige said. "We were in the mood for something different and decided to stop by." They ordered lunch, then they sat back to relax.

Paige felt like the piano was calling her name, all through lunch. As they were waiting for their dessert, she got up from the table and sat down at the piano. She started playing it. Zoey was right there so she didn't have to worry about her. After her visit with Nikolas, she felt inspired. It was a slow, moving tune, one of longing for a love. She started to hum and then the words just came to her, and she started to sing. She was so lost in her song that when she looked up, someone was standing next to their table.

"I didn't mean to disturb you," the man said, "but I had to come in and listen. You play the piano very well. I'm blown away by your singing voice." She gave him a puzzled look. "Please allow me to introduce myself. My name is Jasper Jacks, but everyone calls me Jax." He held out his hand.

She got up from the piano and shook his hand. "My name is Paige Colbertson, and this is my daughter, Zoey."

Zoey held out her hand, and Jax shook it. "What a gorgeous daughter you have."

"Thank you."

"I have a question to ask you. My wife and I are the owners of this hotel. We've been looking for someone to play and sing in our restaurant a couple of nights a week. Would you be interested in something like that?"

She nearly fainted with disbelief, since this was a secret passion of hers, one that she had wanted to do ever since she was a little girl. "I would love to. We've only been in town for a couple of months. When would you like me to start?"

"How about Saturday night? It's only Wednesday, so that will give you a few days to arrange for a babysitter or to figure out what you'd like to do."

"That would be wonderful. Thank you, I really appreciate it. I will be here on Saturday. What time?"

"How about six pm for about two hours, to start out?"

"Sounds perfect. Thanks again, Jax. It was very nice to meet you."

"And you and Zoey, too. Looking forward to seeing you on Saturday," Jax said.

He left them at the table and went back to his office. Carly had been under so much pressure lately since giving birth to Lexi, so Jax has been taking on extra responsibilities at the hotel. He couldn't believe his luck, finding someone who can play and sing. He couldn't wait to hear more from Paige. He thought, 'if she has more songs in her arsenal, she would do just fine here.'

After dessert, Paige and Zoe went back to their apartment. Paige couldn't believe what happened either. 'It was a fluke,' she thought, 'but how often will I get this chance? I can't turn this down. But now I need to work on getting a babysitter.' They watched TV for a while, and the rest of the afternoon passed very quietly. She thought about asking Robin, Aly or Elizabeth, definitely someone she could trust with her most prized possession, so to speak. She needed to make some calls later.

Back at the coffeehouse, Diane and Alexis were in Jason's office, discussing some business of their own before their meeting with Jason.

"When are we going shopping? I'm in need of the latest and greatest shoes and dress purchases," Diane said.

"I'm right there with you," Alexis said. "I need to get out and do some shopping. I need a new outfit, and I don't have any good shoes to go out on a date in."

"Hold it right there, my friend. Exactly whom are you going out on a date with?" She looked at her friend with concern mixed with a playfulness and respect that they have built their friendship on.

"Oh, no one in particular." Alexis tried to play it off, but she knew she couldn't. She saw Diane looking at her, and immediately had to add, "Ok, it's Jerry. I'm not going to lie to you. He is the best thing that has happened to me in a long time."

"I knew you were going to say that." Diane winked at her. "You fought the attraction for a while, but I had a feeling he was going to win you over. You like going for the bad boys….Sonny, Jax, Ric, and Jerry….need I say more?"

Alexis laughed. "No, you hit the nail right on the head. That's the way I am. At least I didn't fall for one of Sonny's bodyguards."

Now it was Alexis' turn to tease Diane, and Diane knew it. "You got me there. But you know what, he is wonderful. I'm having the time of my life and enjoying it moment to moment. He is a great guy, and we are very lucky."

"Don't do anything I wouldn't do," Alexis said.

"I won't," Diane said, and both of them laughed. It felt good to do that again. At that moment, the door opened and Jason walked in. The laughing stopped. They knew it was time to get down to the business at hand.

Lucky was waiting for Aly at Kelly's. He had been by the house or the hospital every day since their night together. He was still worried about her. He didn't really know what was going on, but he was hoping that whatever it was, she would come to him and talk to him about it. He pushed that feeling aside and waited for her to arrive. Just thinking about her made him smile.

Aly called and wanted to meet Lucky at Kelly's on her lunch break. She walked in to find him sitting at their usual table. He stood, gave her a kiss, and pulled the chair out for her. They ordered their food and talked about how the day was going. Lucky noticed that she didn't really seem like herself.

"Is everything ok?" Lucky asked as he reached across the table and held her hand.

"Yeah, I'm great," she said, forcing a smile.

"You don't seem great," he informed her. He didn't like what he was seeing. Something was on her mind, and he wanted her to talk about it, but he wasn't going to force her, yet.

"I guess I'm just a little tired," she admitted.

"A little? Aly, you haven't slept in days," he was clearly concerned for her.

"Do I look that bad?" she asked.

"When was the last time you got some good rest?" he continued with what felt like an interrogation.

"The night you stayed with me," she said, looking to the ground, knowing what Lucky was about to say.

"Aly, that was almost a week ago, what's going on?"

"Nothing, I'm fine," she told him.

"Why do you always do that?"

"Do what?"

"Deny things? If there is something going on, I want you to tell me so I can help you. If you are worried about Ivan, we're going to get him and he won't be able to get to you ever again."

"Lucky, trying to find Ivan Petrovich is like trying to find John Smith, it's nearly impossible," she said, sounding defeated.

"I would agree with you if it was the 1600's, but it's not. We'll get him Aly, I promise you."

"I have faith in you, Lucky, and the PCPD. I just can't get what happened out of my head, I lay awake all night thinking about it."

"You never really told me what went down that night. Do you want to talk about it now?" Lucky asked, with extreme concern on his face.

"No, now isn't the time, and here isn't the place. Maybe you could stay with me tonight, though? See if that helps me to sleep better?"

"Of course, I'll stay with you," he smiled at her.

Aly looked at her watch. "I better get back to work. I have a few appointments this afternoon, but I should be home around 6. I'll see you there?"

"You know it," he said, giving her a kiss.

"Great, see you then. Bye," she said and left.

After paying for lunch, Lucky sat at the table for a few more minutes. There had to be a way to get through to Aly. She needed to talk to someone, and he was hoping it would be him. Something else was bothering her, and he hated to see her like this. He couldn't wait to get off his shift, head over to Fox Hollow and hold Aly in his arms again. He wanted to protect her and keep her safe for a long time to come. He got up and went back to the station for the rest of the afternoon.

After a full day of work, Aly was looking forward to going home and spending the evening with Lucky. When she arrived home, Carter informed her of a package that had been delivered earlier in the day. She went to her desk in the study to find her delivery. A small box with no return address awaited her. She inspected the box, gave it a few shakes to determine its contents. She considered letting Lucky check it out but she couldn't wait for him to open it.

Aly couldn't believe her eyes. Once she saw the contents of the box, she knew exactly who it was from. 'Ivan,' she thought to herself. She shuffled through the pictures. Each one was different, some older, some relatively new according to the digital date, and all of them were of her parents.

"This is impossible," she said. She was furious. The blood was boiling up inside of her. She put the pictures back into the box and put it in the bottom drawer of her desk. She sat there, her face buried in her hands.

"Ms. Aly, Mr. Spencer has arrived," Carter announced.

"Thank you, Carter," she said and pulled herself together. She wasn't ready to let Lucky know what was going on. She wanted to play detective a while longer on her own, no matter how difficult it was going to be. She needed answers, and was determined to find them on her own, if possible.

"There's my girl. How was the rest of your day?" he asked, hugging her.

"It was good. How was yours?" she asked.

"Nothing too exciting; I was anxious to get here and spend the night with you," he grinned.

The evening wore on, and the couple finally called it a night and headed to bed. Hours had passed, and Aly was still awake. She watched Lucky as he slept peacefully. She began to grow restless and didn't want to wake him, so she carefully got out of bed. She walked over to the mantle and stood, staring at the pictures that sat upon it. Her focus was on the picture of her parents; her mind was a million miles away.

"Aly? It's 3 am." Lucky stirred and said softly.

"I'm sorry if I woke you," she said as she took down the picture of Lexi and walked over to the bay window seat. She sat down and stared at the picture of her goddaughter.

Lucky got out of bed and walked over to where Aly was sitting and joined her, "Still can't sleep?"

"Afraid not," she said, still looking at the picture of the baby.

"It might help if you would talk about it," he said, trying to encourage her to deal with the situation that she had been avoiding.

She thought for a moment. "Do you think I'll be a good godmother?" she asked out of the blue.

Lucky wasn't sure where she was coming from but went along with it. "Sure you will be, you love kids, and you're a natural with them. Lexi is very lucky to have you. Why would you even have to ask?"

"Well, there is a little more to it than waving a magic wand and singing 'bibbidi-bobbidi-boo' every now and then."

Lucky laughed. "Aly, all you have to do is love her, and you already are doing that," he said with a smile.

"I guess only time will tell," she said softly and leaned toward Lucky to give him a kiss. She took his hand and led him back to the bed. Her mind still raced with thoughts of Ivan's games. She cuddled up to Lucky and pretended to fall asleep.

The alarm went off much too early in the morning. Although she hadn't been asleep, Aly wanted nothing more than to stay right where she was, in the arms of the man she loved.

"Did you sleep at all?" he asked, pulling her closer to him, if that were even possible.

She thought about lying, but she realized if she started lying now, that one lie would turn into many and she didn't want that for their relationship. It was a silly thing to lie about anyhow, and she'd only be lying to avoid talking about what was really going on. She'd have to find another way to divert the conversation.

"No, I didn't, but I rested as much as I could," she said solemnly.

"Aly, you've got to do something, you can't go on like this," Lucky said, his concern evident in his voice.

"Maybe I'll talk to Lainey about it," she told him. Lainey could help her with her lack of sleep without having to know the whole story.

"You need to talk to somebody. I just wish you'd talk to me," he said as he walked into the bathroom.

She followed in him and spoke as he looked into the mirror. "Lucky, it's not that I don't want to talk to you, I just… I can't, not right now," she said, laying her head on his back, her arms around his waist.

"I love you, you know?" Lucky said.

"I know, and I love you. I'll let you get ready for work," she said, then went downstairs for breakfast.

She went to the study and pulled out the box of pictures from her desk drawer. She sifted through them, still unable to believe her eyes. As she heard Lucky about to enter the room, she quickly shoved them back into the box and put the box back into the drawer. Lucky came in and said good bye, and said he'd be back again to stay the night.

Aly got her day started with a run around the grounds before heading off to work. Once at General Hospital, she decided to follow through with going to see Lainey.

"Hey Aly, what brings you by?" Lainey asked.

"Do you have a few minutes? I just needed your opinion on something."

"Sure, come in and have a seat. What's on your mind?"

"Well, ever since the kidnapping, I've had a really hard time sleeping."

"Okay, that's understandable. Have you talked about the kidnapping with anyone, maybe Lucky or Spinelli?" Lainey asked.

"No, I haven't, not in detail at least," Aly was not going to talk to Lainey about it either.

"Aly, you need to talk about it, you can't keep things bottled up inside, and you don't need me to tell you that. If you don't, it's going to eat at you and start to take over your life. You deserve better than that, and I don't want to see that happen to you. I care about you a lot," Lainey said.

"You're right, I know, but I can't talk about it. It still hurts too much. But I was hoping you would have some suggestions of something I could do in the meantime?" Aly admitted.

"I could prescribe a sleeping aide, but that's about it," Lainey offered.

"No, no pills," Aly said, sounding scared. "I can't go back to taking any pills. I don't want to go down that road again."

"They would be non-habit forming, Aly, you'd be okay with these," Lainey said in an attempt to calm her friend down.

"There's gotta be another way," Aly said as she paced back and forth now.

"What have you tried up to this point?" Lainey inquired.

"Counting sheep, playing boring music, I even had Lucky stay the night with me, and that didn't even work."

"Then there isn't much I can do for you, but if you decide you want the prescription, or if you decide you want to talk, I'll be here," Lainey said, looking at Aly. "Always."

Aly left Dr. Winters' office and headed back to her own office. The afternoon went by slowly, only a few patients to see and paperwork to do. Aly preferred to be busier, but she was thankful that the slowness meant there weren't very many sick children. She finished up her last patient file and headed home.

Back at Fox Hollow, Carter informed her of another package that had arrived for her. She went to the study and found that the package was identical to the one she had received the previous day. This was very unsettling for her, particularly when she opened it only to find more pictures of her parents.

About an hour later, Lucky came in from work. She was sitting in the kitchen, watching Carter and Spinelli fixing dinner. Lucky walked up and kissed her.

"Hi beautiful," he said.

"Hi there," she said and kissed him back.

"Greetings and salutations on this fine night, Rescuer of my Noble Sister. Dinner will be ready soon." He looked at Aly. "Why don't you go into the study and relax while Carter and I finish in here?"

"Are you sure – do you need any help?" Lucky asked Spinelli.

"No, but thank you for the kind offer."

"You're welcome. I would be happy to help out. Come on, Aly; let's leave them alone to finish up." He took Aly's hand and led her to the study.

Once there, they sat down on the sofa, he wrapped his arms around her, pulled her close and kissed her. Instantly, all her worries, concerns and cares drifted away from that one kiss. 'If only they could stay like this forever,' she thought, 'I would be in heaven and never worry again.'

He finally pulled away and looked at her. "How did it go with Lainey today?"

"It went ok. She wanted to prescribe something for me, but I told her no. I wasn't comfortable taking any pills."

"That's up to you, Aly. I don't want to see you get hooked on anything again. Did Lainey say if they were habiting forming?"

"Yes, that's what she said, but I don't want to do that."

"Then you don't have to do anything that you aren't comfortable with. I'm here for you," again he took her hand and kissed it. "I will protect you because you are special to me, and I love you."

"I love you too, my Rescuer." She kissed him. A few minutes later, Carter came in and announced that dinner was ready. They went into the dining room to eat.

"Tonight's dinner is made courtesy of Master Spinelli," Carter said. "It was his idea. He didn't want any help, just a little guidance."

Aly looked at her brother. "Well, aren't you just full of surprises now?" The four of them laughed. Carter left the room, and Aly, Lucky and Spinelli sat down to dinner.

After a few minutes, Lucky looked at Spinelli and said, "You did a great job."

"Thank you, kind Rescuer."

"It is incredible, Spinelli. Thank you so much. I appreciate it."

"You have been a little on sad side lately, and I wanted to cheer my sister up," Spinelli said in reply.

"You did an awesome job. Thank you!" Aly said.

For the rest of the dinner, they talked about the hospital, and Spinelli's favorite subject, Nadine.

After dinner, Spinelli went out with Nadine, and Carter retired to his quarters. Lucky and Aly went up to her bedroom to relax, and for Aly to try and fall asleep.

They laid down on the bed, and he held her close. After the busy day that Lucky had, once again, he fell asleep before she did. She looked at him, sleep so peacefully. She didn't want to wake him, so she stayed there, with his arm around her.

She laid awake, visions of her parents' pictures in her head. What if it was the truth? What if they were really alive and she didn't go to find them? But what if Ivan was lying to her all this time? These were answers she couldn't find right now, at this time of the night. She closed her eyes and tried to rest.

Morning came quickly, and Lucky and Aly were getting ready for work again.

Lucky had to leave a little bit earlier for a meeting. He waited until Aly came downstairs. "I need to head out for a meeting. Did you get some sleep last night?"

"A little bit, but not much," she said.

"Maybe tonight you will. Do you want me to come back again?"

"I want nothing more than that. Thank you so much. I really do love you."

"I love you back," Lucky said. "I'll see you tonight." He gave a kiss and then walked out the door.

She went back into the study and pulled out the boxes of pictures from her drawers. Spinelli had gone over to Jason's and Carter was in his quarters, so she knew she wouldn't get disturbed.

The more she tried to convince herself that the pictures were fake, and it couldn't be possible, the more that the doubt started creeping in. What if it was true, she thought. She would never forgive herself if they turned out to be alive, and she didn't at least try to find out the truth. She sifted through more of the pictures, as the hours flew by and drifted away, she got lost in all the photographs.

Lucky kept thinking about Aly, hoping that she would start to talk to Lainey or even himself. She needed to voice her anxieties and fears and let someone help her. But until then, he would stand by her and help her in any other way that he could.

He tried to concentrate on the case in front of him. "Detective Spencer, would you be able to assist me on a new case?" Mac asked.

"Absolutely, Chief. I'll be right there," Lucky said. He needed to push all the worries and doubts about Aly aside. He got up from his desk and followed Mac to his office. He closed the door, and he and Mac were in the office for the next couple of hours. They got a lot of work done.

When Lucky emerged from Mac's office at 3 pm, he went back to his desk and gave Aly a call. She didn't pick up at the office. He didn't think it was unusual because sometimes she steps away from her desk to do other things. He tried her cell, and it went to voice mail.

"Hey you, it's me. Just thought about you and wanted to say hi. Looking forward to seeing you tonight. Love you, babe. Bye" and he hung up. 'Back to work again,' he thought, as he read through the notes he made in Mac's office on the case.

Spinelli walked into Fox Hollow after a long day. He had spent lunch with Nadine, and both of them couldn't be happier. It was going so well for both of them; sometimes they thought it was all a dream. Spinelli spent so much time with her that they were together more often than they were apart.

"Hello, Master Spinelli. How was your day?" Carter said.

"Very uneventful," he answered. "I'm going to find my sister. I have some good news to tell her."

"She should be in the study. She didn't make it to work today, but I think she did a lot of work in her office here today."

"Thank you, Carter. I'll take a look. Would you like me to cook some dinner tonight for a change?" Spinelli asked.

"No, Master Spinelli, I have it all under control," Carter answered. "I'll let you know when dinner is served." With that, Carter turned and left the entryway.

Spinelli went upstairs to his room first to put his things down and take a quick shower. He knew that if Aly was working in her office, he didn't want to disturb her as soon as he walked in. He would give her some time and then go and find her.

Back at GH, a new doctor reported for work. Epiphany was showing him around. Epiphany introduced him to Elizabeth and also Robin, who were both at the Nurses Station.

"Robin, Elizabeth, this is our new intern doctor, Matt Hunter."

"Hello, Elizabeth. Hi, Robin. It's nice to meet you both."

"What do you think of the hospital so far? Have you met a lot of the staff yet?" Robin asked.

"Not yet. I was down in the ER for most of the day. They finally sent me up here…and personally, I should have been up here around lunchtime…"

"I'm sure," Elizabeth said, "but that's the way it goes around here. It's nice to have you aboard. What brought you here?"

"I was working in another hospital in the Midwest and applied for an internship."

"What kind of work were you doing out there?" Elizabeth asked.

"I was a jack of all trades at the University Hospital. I helped deliver babies, did rounds, helped the patients, I had a lot of experiences. I received a call about a week ago to come out here."

"We are happy to have you here," Epiphany said, being nicer than usual. "Let get you started on rounds, Dr. Hunter."

"It was nice to meet you both. I'll see you around," Matt said.

After Matt left with Epiphany, Robin took off for her rounds with Patrick, and Elizabeth went back to her records filing at the Nurses Station.

Spinelli had finished his shower, got dressed and headed downstairs to Aly's office. He knocked softly. "My Noble Sister, may I come in?"

He waited no answer.

He knocked again, this time harder. "Aly, are you in there?" He was becoming concerned. It wasn't like her to ignore him if she was in there.

He turned the handle and pushed the door in. He wasn't sure what he would find when he opened it.

Spinelli didn't see Aly, but what he saw, shocked him to no end.

He picked up the phone and called Lucky at the PCPD.

"Hello? Detective Spencer."

"Fair Rescuer, it is I, the Jackal. I need your assistance. How quickly can you make it to Fox Hollow?"

"I'll be there in twenty minutes," was Lucky's response. He hung up, not sure what the call was about, or what was wrong. He was at Fox Hollow in less than twenty minutes.

When he pulled up, Spinelli was waiting for him by the door. "What's wrong, Spinelli?" Lucky asked as he walked in the door. "Is it Aly? What's going on?"

"See for yourself," Spinelli answered. He led Lucky into the study, and on the desk, were two boxes, and tons of pictures spread out on the desk.

Lucky walked over, looked inside the boxes, looked at the pictures, and then looked at Spinelli. "What is all this?"

"Apparently, my Noble Sister has been keeping something from us. These are pictures of our father and her mother. I've looked at the dates these boxes were delivered, and they were only delivered a few days ago, separately as not to cause suspicion."

"But why would someone send pictures of Aly's parents to her?" Lucky was still trying to wrap his mind around this.

"Lucky," Spinelli looked at him with all the seriousness he could, "don't you remember? Our father and her mother were killed on the road the night of her medical school graduation. That was many years ago. Look at the dates on the photos."

Lucky took a closer look. "These are only dated about a week or two ago."

"Exactly," Spinelli said. "I did some research, and studied some of the photographs while I was waiting for you to arrive. They aren't real. Someone doctored them up to look real."

"And someone has sent Aly on a wild goose chase. Where would be the one place she would go?" Lucky asked.

Both Lucky and Spinelli looked at each other and knew within seconds. They grabbed a few of the pictures, hopped into the Squad car and took off, hoping that it wasn't too late to save Aly.

In New York, Aly returned to the upscale penthouse located on the Upper East Side. When she had moved to Port Charles, she had thought about selling the place, but it was where she had grown up, and she couldn't let go of her past that easily. She took a deep breath before she entered the magnificent homestead. To her knowledge, no one had been there since she moved. Everything seemed to be in its place, just as she had left it. She made her way through each room. The mirror in the dining room had been replaced. She had broken it in a fit of rage after returning from her parents' funeral. She found it odd that it had been replaced. 'Carter must have taken care of that,' she thought to herself.

She went to the study and sat down in the chair at her father's desk. She looked over the notes he had written about some research he had been conducting. She looked through the rest of his desk but found nothing that would confirm that her parents were alive.

She went to the kitchen next knowing that if her parents were alive and living there that there would be food in the fridge. She cringed as she opened the refrigerator door and found it fully stocked. Her mind raced with all the possibilities. This wasn't solid evidence, but it was enough to get her mind going. She sat down and pulled herself together.

There was only one room left to explore...her parents' bedroom. After the funeral, she had closed off the room and had told Carter that no one was to go in. She found the door shut, just as she had left it. She carefully opened it and slowly entered the bedroom. The room smelled of her mother's favorite perfume, as if it had just been sprayed. She began sifting through the dresser drawers, not really sure what she was looking for. In her mother's top drawer, she found a small box and card with her name on it. She pulled it out and read the card aloud.

_"My dear sweet daughter,_

_Your father and I are so very proud of you. You have chosen a career in which you will make a positive influence. If it were possible to be healed solely by love, the children in your care would and will be truly blessed. You have the power to do anything, and you will always make us proud! Love always, Mommy"_

Aly opened the small box and was surprised by what was inside. This was truly a special gift, one meant to be given to her on the day of her graduation from Harvard. She would treasure it forever.

Still lost in the written words of her mother, Aly was startled by the sound of the door creaking open. She quickly turned around only to be disgusted by what she saw. In the doorway stood Ivan.

"Don't you know curiosity killed the cat?" He asked.

"I knew you were lying to me!" she yelled at him.

"You believed me enough to come here which is just what I wanted," he said coyly as he walked towards her.

"What do you want from me?" she asked as she shuddered from his closeness to her.

"In the beginning, I just wanted the money your father took from me, but now I'm wanting something more."

"What else could you possibly want?" she asked in disbelief.

"Something that I find to be truly exquisite. Something that I haven't been able to find anywhere else in the world," he said as he eyed her, looking her up and down.

"I don't think my parents have anything that fits that criteria."

"Sure they do, they have you," he said, his evil grin on his face.

"Me?" she asked, her voice starting to quiver.

"Yes, darling. I want _you_."

"You can't have her!" Lucky said, coming out of nowhere, Spinelli right by his side. Lucky was in true cop form, his gun pulled and ready to shoot.

At the sound of Lucky's voice, Ivan grabbed Aly and put her in a choke hold, raising a knife to her throat.

"Lucky!!" she pleaded.

"Damn you, Spencer!! You get in the way every time!"

"Let her go," Lucky demanded.

"Where are your thugs this time?" Ivan asked, referring to the crew that had rescued Aly, Carly, and Elizabeth.

"I'm all I need, now let Aly go," Lucky told him.

"Getting a little over confident, don't you think?" Ivan laughed.

Aly and Lucky kept their eyes locked on one another. Spinelli stood back, not wanting to cause any more trouble than necessary, and waited to see what was going to happen next.

Lucky gave Aly a nod, and she knew what to do. She elbowed Ivan in the gut and was able to break free. Ivan hunched over in pain, and then quickly took off running through the house. Lucky chased after him while Aly stayed behind, holding on to Spinelli for dear life. The two could hear the sound of Lucky's gun being shot, and each shot made Aly jump, and with every jump, Spinelli held on to her a little tighter.

A few minutes later, Lucky returned. Aly didn't have to ask any questions, the look on her face did the asking for her.

"He got away," Lucky said solemnly, and then turned his back to Aly and Spinelli. He stood in the doorway, his arms crossed, his body language screaming his emotions. He was angry, and embarrassed that he'd let Ivan get away, again. Aly walked over to him, and put a hand on his back to comfort him.

He slammed his hand against the wall. "Damn it!" he yelled. He was fuming with anger.

"Lucky, it's ok. You got here before he could do anything to me," Aly said.

"And that's the most important thing," Spinelli added.

"I'm a pathetic excuse for a cop," Lucky said in disgust.

"Stop that right now. I will not let you beat yourself up over this. If anyone is pathetic, it's me for believing Ivan in the first place," Aly said.

"Aly, don't be ridiculous," Spinelli said, "You were only following your heart, and there is nothing wrong with that."

"Yeah, well maybe if I would have just told the two of you what was going on, then we could have setup Ivan and caught him," Aly said in defeat.

Lucky hugged her, "Spinelli is right, we got here in time and that's all that really matters. Let's go home."

They all agreed. It was time to return to Port Charles.


	23. Hanging By A Moment

**Chapter 23 - Hanging By A Moment**

The next morning, Aly decided to stay home from work. She was still a little shaken up over what happened with Ivan. She ran into Carter who made breakfast for her. It was waiting for her in the dining room.

She was sitting at the table, getting ready to eat, when Spinelli came downstairs. "Hi. How is my brother doing this morning?" She decided she wanted to focus on someone else. She needed a break from her problems and needed to help someone else. It was very therapeutic for her.

"The Jackal is doing well, Noble Sister. How did my sister sleep last night?" He sat down with her, and they started eating.

She looked at him and gave him a look that only a sister can do. "I'm doing ok. I've been better, but I've been worse. It frightened me that this guy knew how to get to me. He set everything up so perfectly, and made me believe that our father and my mother didn't die that night on the road. It rattled me so much." She still shook just thinking about it.

"There was no way of knowing what the Evil Doer was planning on doing to hurt you. If I had known where you were going, I could have gone with you or helped you," Spinelli said back to her.

"But if you had gone, there's no telling what would have happened, and then you wouldn't have been able to help Lucky find me. You needed to stay here. I don't want you to feel bad. I did it on the spur of the moment. I received a box of pictures. I tried to hide it and figure out what I should do. Then another box came, and it disturbed me. I didn't know if they were real; it looked like they were. I had to follow my instinct and go to the one place that I would be able to tell if they were alive or not."

He nodded in agreement with her. "What happened when you got there?" he asked, very concerned. They were just about done with breakfast by now.

"I started walking around the house, and everything seemed to be in its place. Then I noticed the mirror. After the accident, I threw something at it, and I broke it. But this time when I looked at it, the mirror was perfectly fine. No cracks, nothing, as if I had never broken it in a fit of anger. I thought that maybe Carter had it fixed. Right now, I'm not even sure if he did or someone else did. Next, I went into the kitchen, knowing that if they were still alive, the refrigerator would be fully stocked. I opened it, and to my surprise, it was stocked. I was stunned. I stood there for a minute, frozen, not sure what to believe by this point."

"I would be too, my sister. That would freak the Jackal out beyond belief. What did you do next?"

"I went to the door of their bedroom, afraid of what I would find. 'Would it be messy? Would I find them? Would it be empty and my heart would sink because I would be disappointed?' I took a deep breath and opened the door. Everything was in its place, even the bed looked as if no one had been there. I started looked around in the drawers, around the room. I found a box and a note. I will share that with you later this morning. I would like to have Nik and Lucky here as well."

"Whatever you wish. Shall I call the Rescuer and the Princely One for you?"

"No, Spinelli, but thank you. I will do it. What are your plans for this morning?"

"I need to run a quick errand for Stone Cold. I should be back around 11. What time will they arrive?"

"They will be here about the time that you get back. I'll see you when you come home."

"I will see you then," Spinelli said. He went upstairs, got ready and came back down to leave. By then, Aly had gone back into the study. Sitting at her desk, she stared at the phone, ready to call Nik and Lucky.

Spinelli arrived at the coffee house. Before he went back to see Stone Cold, he ran into Lulu. "Greetings, Blonde One. How are you doing on this fine day?"

"I'm doing well. How are you? How are things going with Nadine?" She was genuinely concerned about her close friend.

"The Jackal is very happy. She is wonderful. I never properly thanked you for helping to bring us together."

"I didn't do much. I just thought you would be happy together. You're welcome. All that matters to me is your happiness. You deserve it. You've been a good friend to me. "She stopped and looked at her watch. "Spinelli, I need to run and meet Johnny. I'll see you later."

"Bye," he walked past her and went into the back room, into Jason's office. He sat down, opened his computer, and got to work. He needed to look up something before he ran his errand for Stone Cold.

Over at Commissioner Scorpio's house, the tenants were getting on each other's nerves. Robin had rented out Georgie's room to Matt, and Maxie couldn't stand him. They tortured each other endlessly whenever they were in the same proximity.

"What are you doing here anyway?" Maxie said, as soon as he entered the living room. "I don't want you here." She started to get angrier.

"I'm not leaving," he said. "I'm here to stay," he said calmly.

"You don't belong here. That was my sister's room. No one should be there but her," she spat out her words harshly at him. Her blood was beginning to boil. On a normal day, she enjoyed teasing Matt, but today he just irritated her. She didn't know why, nor did she want to figure it out. She just wanted him gone.

"I didn't ask to be put in your sister's room. I just answered the ad that Robin put up. How was I supposed to know? Do you want me to leave? Is that it? I signed a legal paper, and I refuse to break it. I'm sure your uncle wouldn't allow me to get out of it. I'm not leaving, so deal with it!" he yelled back at her.

"I want her here, not you!" she screamed. "She didn't deserve to die, she was too young. I want her back." She started to cry hysterically. She couldn't keep it in any longer.

Matt immediately felt sorry for her and saw her pain. He walked over to her and tried to give her a hug. She tried pushing him away. "What are you doing?" She was fighting him and still crying.

"Calm down," he said. Finally, he was able to get his arms around her. She stopped fighting and just held onto him. She suddenly realized that she had been holding on to a lot of anger and emotions ever since Felicia had left town and never released them. Here was a strange man in what was her sister's room. It was too much to handle all at once which is why she finally broke down.

She stopped crying and pulled away, embarrassed. He looked at her. "Are you better now?"

"I am. Thank you," she said. "Please sit down. I want to explain what happened." He sat down with her on the sofa. "My sister was killed not too long ago. She didn't deserve to die. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Our mother came back to town after she passed away. It was awful. I've never fully come to terms with it. Now seeing you in her room, it's too much, and today I came to the breaking point."

"I understand," Matt said, trying to keep her calm and choosing his words wisely as not to upset her again. "It couldn't have been easy for you. Maybe we could start over and try to be friends. I would like to be here for you anytime you want to talk…if you'll let me." He smiled at her.

She thought, 'he has a great smile.' Another thought said, 'Maxie, pay attention.' "Thank you, Matt for everything and listening. I have to get to work. I'll see you later."

"Bye, talk to you later." Even after their fight, there was something he really liked about Maxie. It must be her spunk and determination not to let anyone in very easily. He went back to his room and got ready for work. Only this time, he was thinking about Maxie's sister, the room he occupied, and how much it meant to Maxie.

Back at Fox Hollow, Aly dialed Lucky's number. After three rings, it went into voice mail. She left a message. "Hey Cowboy, it's me. Give me a call when you get this message. If I remember correctly, you don't have to be in work until this afternoon. Would you be able to swing over here around eleven? It's important. See you soon. I love you." She hung up.

Next, she dialed Nik's number at Wyndemere. "Hello?"

"Hi, Alfred, it's Aly. Is Nik at the house right now?"

"Yes, Miss Aly. I believe he is in the study. I'll get him for you." He put Aly on hold and went to find Nikolas.

"Master Nikolas, you have a phone call. Miss Aly…" Alfred said.

"Thank you, Alfred. I'll pick it up." Alfred left the room.

Nikolas picked up the phone. "Hello, Aly. How are you doing today?"

"I'm doing pretty well, considering my ordeal yesterday. Are you busy this morning?"

"No, I'm free. Bobbie has Spencer at her place, he spent the night at her house, and I'm going to pick him up after lunch. Why, what's going on?"

"Would you be able to stop by my place around 11? Lucky and Spinelli will be here. I have something to tell all three of you, and I'd like to do it just once."

"Sounds good, Aly," he said. "I'll be there. See you then."

"Bye," she said.

As soon as she hung up with Nik, Lucky called Aly back. "Hi Cowboy."

"Hey, babe. I got your message. Sorry I couldn't get the phone right away."

"It's ok. I know you're probably running around."

"Yes, I am, taking the boys to the Paige's house for Elizabeth. She had to get to work, and Jason couldn't drop them off."

"That was sweet of you. You are a great dad to them."

"Thank you, that means a lot to me. I'll be there at eleven. Got to run. See you shortly." He smiled at the phone, thinking of her face, and how soon he could get over there to see her.

"See you later."

"Love you," Lucky said.

"Right back at you," Aly said. She smiled as she hung up with him. He was the love of her life. How completely fortunate she was to have someone like Lucky in her life.

Aly was in the living room when Spinelli came home. He went upstairs, put on a new change of clothes, and came downstairs to sit with her while she waited for Lucky and Nikolas to arrive.

Both of them showed up at her doorstep at exactly eleven am. She had a smile on her face as she went and opened the door, to see two of the most handsome gentlemen in all of Port Charles, excluding her brother, of course.

"Hello guys. Please come in." She said to them. They followed her to the living room and all of them sat down.

"Greetings, Rescuer and the Princely One. How are you gentlemen?"

"Doing well so far. It's good to see your sister is back, safe and sound," Nikolas said. "Thanks to you and Lucky for tracking her down."

"It was all Spinelli. He was the one who actually figured it out. I would hate to have something happen to your sister. She is important to all three of us," Lucky said. Nikolas shook his head in agreement.

"There was one good thing that came out of my trip to New York City," Aly said matter-of-factly, as she jumped back into the conversation with the boys. She took out a small box.

"Is that the box you were telling me about earlier?" Spinelli asked.

"It is indeed." She opened the box and showed all of them what was inside. "It is an emerald ring," she started. "I found this in one of the drawers in my parents' room before Ivan grabbed me. I was fortunate that he didn't take this."

"It's stunning," Lucky said. "It matches your eyes."

Aly blushed. "Thank you."

"Was it your mother's?" Nikolas asked.

"No, it wasn't. I found a note inside." She took out the note, unfolded it, and started to read it.

_"My dear sweet daughter,_

_Your father and I are so very proud of you. You have chosen a career in which you will make a positive influence. If it were possible to be healed solely by love, the children in your care would and will be truly blessed. You have the power to do anything, and you will always make us proud! Love always, Mommy"_

Aly looked up at all of them, with tears in her eyes. Lucky got up and hugged her. All of Aly's emotions were floating to the surface.

"I don't mean to cry in front of you guys, but you are the three most important people in my life, and I wanted to share the gift and note with you."

"We do love you," Nik said. "You mean the world to us, and if anything happened to you, we wouldn't be able to live with ourselves. That was a special gift from your parents, and I for one, am glad you found it."

"Me too," Spinelli said. "You deserve to have something from them, and this was meant for you to find at this point in your life. The Jackal sees you with the children at the hospital, how loving and kind you are with them. You deserve nothing but good things to happen to you in your life."

"Thanks, now you're making me cry," Aly said. In an effort to change the subject, she said to them, "anyone ready for lunch?" They laughed. It was good to hear Aly laugh again. Each of the guys gave Aly a hug and then went into the dining room for the lunch that Carter had prepared, at her request to surprise them for coming over.

They had an enjoyable lunch. Afterwards, Nik left to pick up Spencer at Bobbie's, Lucky headed off to work, and Spinelli went upstairs to take a nap. Aly went into her room, laid down on the bed and took a nap herself. She was drained from her visit with her friends and her brother.

She had sweet dreams of her parents. When she woke up again, it was supper time. She took it easy for the rest of the night, and she prepared her things for work the next day.

Things had finally settled down and were back to normal, well as normal as they could be. Aly was able to get some sleep but was still waking up frequently through the night. Lucky continued to stay with her for several more nights. Once she convinced him she was getting enough sleep, he returned to his own home.

A few days later, Paige was running a quick errand while Mike was watching Zoey at Kelly's. She felt like stopping over at the pier for a few minutes of quiet. She parked the car and walked out onto the bridge. She stopped when she saw Nikolas standing there.

She took a deep breath and walked up next to him. "Hi, Nikolas. How are you?"

"Hey, Paige. I'm good, how about you?" He smiled that great smile at her.

"Good. How's Spencer doing? He really is a delightful young man."

"Thank you. He's doing great. Lesley is with him now while I ran an errand but I decided to stop here to think and relax for a little bit."

"I know what you mean, Nikolas. It's just one of those days. Between working at the Metro Court, spending time with Zoey, and watching Elizabeth's boys, I haven't gotten any time to be by myself. I've always felt at home near the water, ever since I was growing up."

He looked at her quizzingly. "When did you start working at the Metro Court?"

"It was about a month or so ago. It wasn't too long after we arrived in town."

"What do you do there?"

"I sing at the nightclub a few nights a week. It doesn't pay much but I've been singing all of my life. Getting this job was a dream come true."

"How did that come about?" Nikolas asked.

"One night after we had moved into the apartment, Zoey and I went back for dinner. The lounge had a piano in it, and no one was there. I went over, started playing and singing. Next thing I know, a gentleman came up and introduced himself as Jax. We chatted for a while, and he offered me a part time singing job. I was surprised, but happy. It was the most incredible rush I'd felt in a long time." Paige enjoyed being around Nikolas, he was very easy to talk to.

"That is really cool. Jax is a great guy, and his wife Carly is amazing," he said.

"They seem like it. I met her when she brought her daughter in to work one afternoon while I was there. She is gorgeous. There's nothing in the world like being a parent."

"That's the truth. I wouldn't trade being a dad to Spencer for anything. He is a great kid. Speaking of kids, Zoey is a wonderful little girl. I think her and Spencer would get along great together." He stared off for a minute. Suddenly, his eyes lit up and sparkled. "What are you and Zoey doing tonight? There's a carnival in town. Spencer and I can meet you and Zoey there. The kids would love it."

Paige thought about it for a minute. "I have to take Zoey in to see Aly this morning at the hospital, but after that, I'm free. What time does it start, and where is it?"

"It starts around four, but if you want to meet around five, we can do that. The carnival is in the park, you can't miss it. Let's meet outside at the ticket booth then."

"Sounds perfect." Paige looked at her watch. "I should get back to Zoey. I'm sure Mike had enough of Zoey for one morning." They both laughed. "I'll see you and Spencer tonight at the park."

"Bye, Paige," Nikolas said. After she left, he stayed for another couple of minutes. Then he headed back to the launch to take him to Wyndemere and Spoon Island. He was taking Spencer out for some fun tonight, and Nikolas found himself looking forward to doing something fun with his son and their new friends.

Being at work and keeping busy was really the only thing that put Aly's mind at ease. Sure, she loved spending time with Lucky and Spinelli, but her mind raced with thoughts of how she had put them in danger by walking into Ivan's trap.

At the hospital, Aly looked over the charts of the patients she would be seeing that day. She came across little Zoey Colbertson's file. 'This must be a mistake, I just saw her not too long ago,' she thought to herself. She decided to check with Nadine, who had pulled the charts for her earlier that morning.

"Nadine, is Zoey Colbertson scheduled for an appointment today?" Aly inquired.

"She is. Didn't I pull her chart?" Nadine asked.

"You did, it's right here. I was surprised to see it. I just saw her a few weeks ago."

"Her mother called and said something about a bike accident," Nadine said.

"Okay, thanks. Oh and by the way, thank you for pulling the charts and having them ready on my desk. I really appreciate it," Aly said with a smile.

"You're welcome," Nadine smiled back, as Aly went back to her office. Ever since Nadine started dating Spinelli, her friendship with Aly took a turn for the better. Not that it wasn't before, but Aly was more understanding and patient with her. To tell the truth, Nadine really admired Aly for everything that she has accomplished in the short time that she's known her.

Later that morning, Paige and Zoey arrived right on time. "Hi Elizabeth," Paige said.

She was out at the Nurses station, and she looked surprised to see both of them. "Hi Paige, hi Zoey. What are you doing here?" Elizabeth asked.

"Zoey fell riding her bike. I brought her in so Aly could check her out. How have you been? How is Jason doing? I missed not seeing the boys this morning."

Elizabeth smiled at her. "He's doing wonderful. Thanks for asking. The boys missed you this morning as well. They have really grown to love you and Zoey. Sometimes I can't remember when they were babies."

"Mommy, you're forgetting about me," Zoey said. She had a little smirk on her face.

"I would never forget you, baby. We just got carried away for a minute." They both laughed.

"I should get you in the exam room and ready for Aly." She led them into the exam room and did the necessary prep work.

"Ok Zoey, Dr. Aly will be in to see you soon," Elizabeth said.

"Thanks, Elizabeth," Paige said. "See you later." Zoey waved bye to Elizabeth.

A few minutes later, Aly entered the room.

"Hello Zoey! How is my favorite patient? Are you wonderful?" Aly said in her most cheerful voice.

"Hi, Dr. Aly! I'm not wonderful…. But fabulous!" Zoey exclaimed.

"Good glad to hear it! And how is mommy?"

"She's fabulous!" Zoey answered for her mother.

Aly turned to Paige and smiled.

"I'm doing well, thank you," Paige said.

"Well, Nurse Elizabeth tells me you had a bike accident. Let's get you all checked out to make sure everything is okay," Aly said as she readied her stethoscope.

Aly examined the young girl while Zoey gave a detailed story of how she had the accident.

"Well, you did skin up your knee pretty good," she said and then turned to speak to Paige. "I'll give you a prescription for some antibiotic ointment, her knee does have a little bit of an infection. The ointment will take care of that and will help the sore to heal quickly."

"Now, Miss Zoey, let me ask you one final question," Aly said, turning her attention back to the child that sat on the exam bench.

"Okay," Zoey said.

"Something tells me that maybe you just wanted to come for a visit. Am I right?" Aly asked.

Looking to the floor, she said, "yes, Dr. Aly."

She smiled at Zoey and gave her a quick hug. "The next time you want to have a visit just tell mommy. She can call me, and we'll work something out. Maybe something more fun, like getting some ice cream, okay?"

"Okay," she said still embarrassed, but she gave Dr. Aly a smile.

Aly looked at Paige, winked and smiled.

"Okay, Zoey, we should go so Dr. Aly can see other people who need her help," Paige said in a reprimanding tone. Zoey got off the exam table, and they started to head out the door.

"I'll see you out," Aly said and walked them out to the Nurse's station.

"Elizabeth, here is Zoey's chart. Oh, and there will be no charge today for Ms. Colbertson," Aly instructed.

"Aly, you don't have to do that," Paige said.

"Don't worry about it. I'll see you two soon." Aly smiled and went back to her office.

She finished with her last appointment for the day. Aly went on rounds before heading home. She was just about to leave her office around 4 pm when her cell rang.

"Hey Cowboy," she grinned.

"Hey Beautiful," he grinned back.

"What's up? Are you still at the station?" she asked as she shuffled through her purse to find her car keys. After a long day, all she wanted to do was get out of there, hopefully see Lucky and grab something to eat.

"I am, but I was just about to leave, thought we could get a bite at Kelly's and then maybe check out the scene at the carnival?" Lucky suggested.

"Hmm…I'd rather be with you and you only. How about we go for a walk on the pier?" Aly said.

"I think that sounds like a great idea," he smirked.

"Great, I'll meet you there," she couldn't resist an opportunity to spend time with her man.

"See you soon," he said, and hung up. He couldn't wait to see Aly. He always missed her when they were apart.

At the same time, Paige and Zoey left their apartment at Kelly's and headed over to the carnival. Zoey was dressed in shorts and a cute pink top and sneakers. Paige put on a red short sleeve top, a pair of jean shorts and sandals. She wanted to have a little extra time to relax with Zoey before they went to meet Nikolas and Spencer.

They pulled up to the park, and she parked in front. They had some time to kill, so Paige took Zoey to the other side of the playground, and they sat on the swings. Paige's mind drifted. Although she's excited to spend time with Nikolas and Spencer tonight, she was thinking about some place and people far away.

Her parents and her family popped into her mind. She wondered how they were. Sure, she calls them, but it's nothing like being there, being able to pop over and visit whenever she wanted to. Now she has to get on a plane to get there. 'Montana and New York are too far apart,' she thought to herself and smiled. She missed them. 'I need to call them later on and see how they are.'

"Zoey, be careful," Paige said as Zoey climbed up the slide and came back down. "Don't get dirty, sweetie. Mr. Nikolas and Spencer will be coming any minute. We need to head over to the ticket booth to meet them." Paige let her play for another minute or two, and then they walked over to meet them.

As Zoey and Paige were at the playground, back at Wyndemere, Nikolas finished getting Spencer dressed and ready to go. He put Spencer in a pair of shorts and a blue shirt and sneakers. Nikolas wore a dark blue shirt, a pair of black jeans and sneakers. They opened the front door to head over to launch.

"Alfred," Nikolas said. "Spencer and I are going over to the carnival in the park to meet Paige and her daughter, Zoey. We'll be back afterwards. I have my cell phone in case anything happens."

"Have a good time," Alfred said. He closed the door behind Nikolas and Spencer. Alfred thought, as he smiled to himself, that it would do Master Nikolas some good to get out. He's been staying at home entirely too much by himself, and he was starting to worry. He hasn't been the same since Miss Emily died. He needs a companion, or just a friend to spend some time with. Alfred hoped that Nikolas has a good time tonight and just enjoys it.

Nikolas and Spencer got on the launch. They settled in for the quick ride to the mainland. In a matter of minutes, they were in Nikolas' car and headed to the carnival. About ten minutes later, they pulled into the parking lot. Spencer was excited to come out. He was talking non-stop the whole way over, Nikolas noticed. Spencer will enjoy himself tonight with Paige and Zoey.

Nikolas was looking forward to it, too. It's been a while since he went out and did anything like this. If he had to think back, the last time he did something fun and spontaneous was with Emily. He still missed her more than anyone knew, but he made a promise to her – he needed to live for Spencer and for himself. She will always be in his heart and the love of his life, but he made the right decision by having the surgery. He had to see Spencer grow up and live his life – he couldn't miss that.

Nikolas and Spencer got out of the car and headed to the ticket booth. Nikolas immediately spotted Paige and Zoey waiting, and they walked up to them. "Hi girls, have you been waiting long?" He had a concerned look on his face. It was only a few minutes before 5.

"Not at all. We've been hanging out and relaxing while we waited for you." Paige smiled at him. She turned to Spencer. "Hi Spencer, how are you?"

"Hi Miss Paige. It's nice to see you. I'm good, thanks." He looked up at Nikolas. "May we go and play some games?"

Nikolas and Paige laughed. "Definitely. Let's get started." Nikolas bought enough tickets for both kids and even himself and Paige if they chose to go on any of the rides. "Where do you want to go first, Zoey?" Nikolas asked. "Spencer, we must not forget, ladies first."

"I want to spin the wheels and win some stuffed animals. May I, Mommy?" Zoey asked.

"Absolutely. Zoey, lead the way."

They went to four or five wheel games that had the Webkinz, and both Spencer and Zoey won 2 animals each. Spencer played number 3, and Zoey played number 8. Spencer won a frog and a penguin. Zoey won a brown puppy and a white poodle.

As they walked around, you could hear the sounds of bells, the water guns to fill the balloons that popped, and kids running around with their parents. They even smelled cotton candy and popcorn. Paige thought it reminded her of being back at a boardwalk on the Atlantic City pier, somewhere that she was when she was a little girl with her parents and her brother. She took that feeling with her whenever she went since then.

"One more wheel game, Zoey," Paige said. "Which one do you want to play?"

"I want to play the one that has the brown and black horse, Mommy." They walked over to the wheel game, and put the money down. Zoey played number 5, Spencer played number 1. Nikolas took out some of his own money, and put it down on number 10. Paige laughed. She took out a dollar of her own and put it on number 7.

The dealer spun the wheel. When it slowed down, it landed on number 10. "Daddy, you won," Spencer said. "What are you going to pick?" His eyes were wide with wonder.

He looked at Spencer, then Zoey and Paige. He said to the dealer, "I'd like the black and brown horse, please." After the dealer handed it to Nikolas, Zoey and Spencer both wanted it.

"I can't give it to either one of you guys, because you both have 2 animals. To be fair, I have to do the right thing with the horse." He looked at Paige. "This is for you. I think it's only fair since Spencer and Zoey each have two, and I don't like them as much as you or Zoey would. I hope it will remind you of the fun we're having tonight," Nikolas said.

Paige was in shock but recovered quickly. "Thank you, Nikolas. That was very sweet. I'll remember this always whenever I look at it. That's cool." She leaned over and gave him a quick hug. He smiled back at her.

Back in town, when it came to Kelly's, Lucky and Aly were creatures of habit. They always sat at the same table, the table they always sat at when they first started meeting for coffee. If the table was taken, they'd sit up at the bar and chat with Mike until the table was available. And they always ordered the same thing. It was to the point where they would tell Mike that they'd have "the usual," and he knew exactly what that was.

Tonight was no different. They sat at their table and had their usual. Since Aly had gone to New York, she was able to talk about things more easily. Lucky was glad she was finally able to open up to him. He now knew all the details where Ivan was concerned and was finally able to understand where Aly was coming from. He and the rest of the PCPD were working nonstop to find Ivan and put him behind bars. The search was currently at a standstill, as there was no new evidence and Ivan had not made an appearance since New York. Lucky was careful to not make Aly feel like she was constantly being interrogated, but he had to keep the discussion of Ivan going as much as he could. By doing so, he hoped it would lead to more clues as to how to nail the guy.

"Any word on Ivan?" Aly asked

"No, nothing new at least. Have you heard from him?" Lucky asked her.

"No, I haven't. The only messages I get are from you, Nikolas, my brother, or they are patient related. The only mail I've received have been bills, and I seriously doubt that he's been lurking around Fox Hollow considering how much security there is. Between the PCPD patrols and the guys Sonny and Jason have in place, Ivan wouldn't stand a chance if he stepped foot on the property," she said nonchalantly.

"He could be around somewhere, anywhere. You still need to be careful," Lucky warned.

"I know and I am. Besides I have an officer from the department and one of Sonny and Jason's guys following me constantly," she informed him.

Lucky raised an eyebrow to question her.

"What? You didn't think I knew you had someone on me 24/7? Please, Lucky," she smirked.

"If you know then he's not being very discreet," he said in a defensive tone.

"No, he is, but Lucky I'm not dumb," she said.

"So have you seen him?" he asked, still perturbed.

"Who? The officer that is assigned to me?" Aly asked.

"Yeah."

"No, not once. I just had a hunch that you put someone on me," she grinned.

"You know me well, dear. I figured that since I can't be with you all the time that I had to do something," Lucky said, giving in a little.

"You just can't help yourself can you?" she said in a motherly tone.

"I will do anything to protect you. You can be angry about it all you want. I'm going to keep doing whatever it takes to keep you safe," he informed her.

"I'm not angry," she said matter of factly.

"You aren't?"

"No, in fact quite the opposite. I love you for it," Aly smiled and reached across the table to hold his hand.

"And I love you," Lucky beamed.

Back at GH, Robin was at the 10th floor nurses station when Matt walked up to her. "Hey, Robin. Maybe moving into your uncle's house was the wrong decision."

"Why? What happened?" Robin asked.

"I think it's bothering Maxie an awful lot that I'm in Georgie's room. Maybe I should find another place to stay."

Robin looked at him. "No, Uncle Mac would never let you do it. He thinks you're a great guy and would be a good influence on Maxie. I hope you'll reconsider and stay."

"How can I if it's hurting Maxie so much?"

"She needs to start dealing with the fact that Georgie isn't coming back. I don't think she ever faced it. Just give her some time, she'll come around."

"Ok, I'll give it some time, Robin. Thanks," Matt said.

"I have a question for you."

"Sure, go for it."

"Where did you intern before you came to us? It's good to know some background on each other since we have been spending a lot of time together living in the same house."

"Not a problem. I understand. The short version is that I worked in a hospital in the Midwest called University Hospital. I did all sorts of things, deliver babies, did exams, the usual doctor things. My toughest case was a little baby called Fenmore. Poor little guy, but he was a fighter. I wouldn't have minded staying there longer but when this internship came up through the Cassidine Foundation, I couldn't pass it up."

"Of course not. Nikolas' family has a great foundation and only sponsor the best. Sounds like you had a great group of doctors to work with, and that little guy made such an impression on you to remember him."

"Sometimes we can get emotionally attached to our patients."

"Definitely," Robin said.

"How long have you been a doctor? Have you always practiced at GH?" Matt asked.

"I've been here for a few years. That's all I could remember ever wanting to do. It was really important to me, being able to help people."

"That's the only thing I ever wanted to do as well. You and Patrick look very happy together. Congratulations on the baby. I can see that you both love each other very much."

"Thanks, Matt. We do, and in one respect, we have Georgie to thank for it. I have to do some rounds. I'll see you later on, either here or at the house."

"Talk to you later," Matt said. He looked over some files at the Nurses Station, then he headed off to see his next patient.

At the carnival, Nikolas, Paige, Zoey and Spencer went and got something quick to eat. They had a good time talking. After dinner, they walked around the carnival a little more. They came across a photo booth, like the kind you find at the boardwalk shore.

"Daddy, may Zoey and I get our pictures taken in here? It would be so cool to have a picture to remember today." He was so excited, and Nikolas couldn't say no. He started to get Zoey and Spencer situated on the bench behind the curtain.

Paige stuck her head in. "Everything ok in here?" She laughed at the sight of the two kids with Nikolas trying to get them to sit still so the camera could start shooting. "I'll just wait out here," she said.

Nikolas put his hand on her arm. "You're leaving me in here to get them set up. Why don't you join us?" He had a big grin on his face.

Immediately, Paige got shy. "You're having a good time with them. I couldn't intrude. I would rather watch the scene from out here." She laughed and smiled at him.

"Oh no, you don't," he said to Paige. He put the money in the machine, and at the same time, he pulled Paige in with the three of them. The camera started shooting different poses.

They were giggling and all four of them had a great time. Paige couldn't remember when she had such a fantastic time. When they were done, Nikolas and Paige looked at the pictures. Since there were doubles, he gave half of them to Paige, and he kept the other half.

Afterwards, they went and got some cotton candy and popcorn. What a wonderful ending to a perfect evening. Paige didn't want it to end; she was enjoying it too much. So was Nikolas. They walked around a bit more.

Lucky and Aly finished eating and left for the pier. There was something about the Elm Street Pier. On this particular night, the moon filled the sky. It was like a big spot light shining down on them. The water was calm and the only sound that could be heard were the boats in the distance.

"Would you like to dance?" Lucky asked as he offered his hand to Aly.

"There's no music," Aly giggled.

"I know, but we don't need any, we just need each other."

Aly took his hand, and he pulled her close. Her green eyes twinkled in the moonlight. Lucky couldn't get over how beautiful she was at that very moment. He smiled.

"What?" she asked shyly.

"I think your eyes are sparkling more than that ring of yours," he said.

Aly looked away, blushing.

"Your eyes, they're beautiful you know?"

"Thank you," she said quietly, then she kissed him.

She looked at him and asked, "Are we actually alone or are the guards hiding?"

"We're alone, why?"

"Because, these are our memories, and no one else needs to know about them," she smiled.

They continued to sway slowly, in perfect rhythm to one another. Aly rested her head on Lucky's shoulder, as he pressed his nose into her hair, smelling the sweet scent of her perfume. She was intoxicating. They were completely lost in each other. It was as though the night would never end, and Aly was praying that it wouldn't. She was felt like she was finally safe in the arms of love. At the sound of footsteps, they were quickly brought back to reality.

"Well, well, well, look who it is. My favorite two people in Port Charles," a voice chuckled.

Aly instantly recognized the voice and turned to look him straight in the eye. "What do you want?" she asked.

"Darling, you know very well what I want. There is just one problem. It seems that Detective Spencer here is going to continue to be in my way. That only leaves me with one choice and that is to kill him and get him out of my way for good," Ivan said as he pulled out his gun.

"Aly, stay behind me," Lucky instructed as he took position to protect her from Ivan and all of his evilness.

"Killing me isn't going to help you, Ivan," Lucky said.

"We'll see about that," Ivan grinned.

"If you want the money I can get it for you, but Lucky is right, killing him isn't going to help you," Aly pleaded.

"The money is not as important as getting you. And as long as he is around, I can't have you," Ivan hissed.

"You have no chance with her, whether I'm here or not. Why would a beautiful, talented, smart woman ever want with a man like you? You're pathetic, a sad excuse for a man," Lucky said.

"Well if I can't have her, no one can!" Ivan said," You're a dead man Spencer!" he said just as he pulled the trigger. At that same exact moment, Aly stepped in front of Lucky.

"Aly, no!!" Lucky screamed at the sound of the gun firing. He couldn't believe this was happening.

Aly was thrown back by the force of the bullet. Lucky caught her before she could fall to the ground. Before he knew it, he was covered in Aly's blood.

Ivan took off in no time flat, leaving Lucky with a bleeding Aly.

"Hang on baby, just hang on," Lucky said as he fumbled his phone. He finally was able to dial 911. He frantically spoke to the operator.

"911, what is your emergency?" the operator asked.

As soon as he heard the operator, he was able to pull it together, "This is Detective Spencer, a person has been shot on the Elm Street Pier, I need an ambulance immediately."

"Okay, we are dispatching that right now. Can you give me a description of the victim and where the victim was shot?" the operator asked.

"Yeah, uh, twenty five year old white female, she was shot in the right side of her chest," he said. He was able to stay calm and give the operator all the details that were needed. This is what he had been trained for, and while it was the love of his life lying there in his arms, he had to put aside all of his emotions and stay focused so he could save her.

The paramedics arrived and quickly got to work. When they realized it was Aly and the severity of her condition, they called ahead to the hospital, so that the staff and the OR would be ready. Lucky rode in the ambulance and held her hand.

"You hang on, Aly," he said, lightly touching her face.

She briefly regained consciousness and tried to speak. "Lucky," she whispered.

"Shh, don't try to talk, save your energy," he told her.

The ambulance arrived at General Hospital and the paramedics quickly whisked Aly to the OR. Lucky followed closely behind. He made brief eye contact with Elizabeth, who was standing at the Nurse's station, next to Nadine. They were both in shock, as they had just begun their shift and were unaware of what had happened.

"I'll call Spinelli," Nadine said, springing into action.

"Call Nikolas and Lulu too, they need to be here. I'm gonna go see how I can help Lucky," Elizabeth said and went to find her ex-husband.

Nadine reluctantly dialed Spinelli's number. The phone rang and rang. She knew he was busy helping Jason with something, but she hoped he'd answer. This was not something she could leave on his voicemail.

"Hello Guardian of the Jackal's heart. I was just daydreaming..." Spinelli started in.

"Spinelli..." Nadine tried to get his attention.

"Of you but Stone Cold..." he continued.

"Spinelli!!" she raised her voice.

"Insisted that the Jackal focus but that is so hard to do when..." he kept rambling.

"Damien!!" Nadine shouted into the phone.

Astounded that she called him by his first name, he knew something was wrong. "What happened?"

"It's your sister," she said.

"Where are you, and where is she?" he knew by the tone of her voice that it wasn't good.

"Spinelli, she was shot tonight, they're prepping her for surgery as we speak," she told him.

Before she could say anything he hung up.

"What's going on?" Jason asked.

"My noble sister... Ivan has gotten to her yet again," he said solemnly.

"I'll drive you," Jason said without hesitation.

Nadine made the next call to Nikolas. This one was just as hard. She had no idea where he was or what he was doing, but she didn't want to be the one to deliver this awful news. She was dreading it, but she had to do it.

At the carnival, Nikolas and Paige were sitting on a couple of benches with the kids. "Do you mind keeping an eye on Spencer? I need to take this," Nikolas said at the sound of his phone.

"No, not at all, go ahead," Paige said.

After the call, Nikolas came back over and was noticeably upset. Paige didn't want to be nosey, but she felt that she had to ask. It looked like he needed someone to talk to, and she was the only one who could help him.

"Everything okay?" she asked. Clearly it was not, but there were no better words.

"No, it is definitely not okay," he motioned for her to get close so he could whisper to her.

"It's Aly, she's just been taken into the hospital, she was shot tonight," he said quietly so that Spencer and Zoey couldn't hear.

"Oh Nikolas, that's awful. Is there anything I can do to help you?" Paige asked, completely in disbelief.

"Yeah, I have to get there. I need to be with her, my sister and brother. Do you think you could take Spencer back to Wyndemere for me? I know it's a lot to ask, but it would save me a lot of time," Nikolas said.

"Of course I can. You go and be with your family," she insisted. "Drive safely."

"Thank you," he said, then turned his attention to his son. "Spencer, Miss Paige is going to take you home, Daddy has to go see your Uncle Lucky," he said to him.

"Bye, Daddy," Spencer said.

"Bye, Mr. Nikolas," Zoey said.

"Thanks again, Paige," he said, and left.

Paige gathered up Zoey and Spencer's carnival prizes and loaded them up in the car. She was a little nervous about going to Wyndemere. She hadn't been there yet, and going anywhere new is sometimes intimidating. However, going to a castle on an island is a whole other story.

Nadine called Lulu, who was with Johnny at the time, as usual. "Hello?"

"Lulu, it's Nadine."

"What's wrong? You sound upset."

"Aly was just brought into the hospital. She was shot tonight. Lucky was with her when it happened, and Spinelli and Nikolas are on their way."

"We'll be there shortly. Lucky will need our support. Thanks for letting me know, Nadine. See you soon."

Johnny looked at Lulu. "What happened?"

"We need to get to the hospital as soon as possible. Aly was shot tonight."

"Let's get moving," was Johnny's answer to her. They hopped into his car and drove over to GH.

As Paige arrived at the door of Wyndemere with Zoey and Spencer, she was welcomed by Alfred, who was expecting her.

"Ms. Colbertson, welcome. I'm Alfred, it's lovely to meet you," he said. "Master Nikolas called to let me know that you would be bringing Spencer home."

"Thank you, it's nice to meet you as well," she said. She looked in awe of the magnificent home Nikolas resided in. It was truly a piece of art. She couldn't imagine what it must be like to live is such a beautiful place.

"Right this way, Ms. Colbertson," Alfred said, directing her to the study.

A woman got up from the sofa to greet her. "This is Lesley, Master Nikolas' grandmother," Alfred introduced the two.

"Nice to meet you," Paige said, and shook Lesley's hand.

"You as well. Thank you for bringing Spencer home. I know Nikolas really appreciates it," she said.

"Oh, it was no trouble, I'm just glad I could help out," she said shyly.

"Nikolas tells me you are also friends with Aly," Lesley inquired.

"I am. I just recently moved to town, and Aly was one of the first people I met," Paige said.

"Well, I'd be happy to keep your daughter if you'd like to join Nikolas at the hospital. I don't know the details of Aly's condition, but it didn't sound good," Lesley said.

"Maybe I should go there and be there for him and just sit with him," Paige said.

"He would love that, Paige."

"Oh, I couldn't impose, and I don't know him that well," Paige started to refuse.

"You wouldn't be imposing. And it looks as though your daughter and Spencer are busy playing," Lesley pointed out. The two children were over at Spencer's train table, fully engaged. In fact, the minute that they walked into the study, Spencer took Zoey to the table, and they started building a track.

"Well I guess it would be okay. I would really like to go and see how Aly is doing," Paige admitted.

"Then it's settled. You stay at the hospital as long as you need to," Lesley told her.

Paige accepted the offer and let Zoey know what was going on. She was a little reluctant to leave her daughter, but she knew she could trust Nikolas' grandmother.

Back at General Hospital, Lucky paced the hallway outside of the OR where Aly was being treated. Spinelli, Jason, Nikolas, Lulu and Johnny, stormed in at once, bombarding Lucky with questions about what happened. His patience was wearing thin, and he found it difficult to relay all the details of the night's events. He had already given a statement to Mac and discussed everything with Elizabeth. It was Elizabeth who finally stepped in and asked everyone to calm down. She filled them in while Lucky continued to pace.

Shock had taken over everyone who was waiting for word on Aly's condition. They were all quickly brought to their feet at the sound of the machines going off in the OR.

"What's going on?!" Lucky yelled.

"Lucky, you've got to calm down," Elizabeth said, trying to get him to sit down.

"What's happening? Why are all of the machines going off?" Lucky asked.

"She flat lined, they are bringing in the crash cart," Elizabeth told him.

"This can't be happening," Lucky pleaded. He had just found her; he wasn't ready to lose her. He needed her to fight to live. He would change places with her in a heartbeat if he could.

Aly fought to wake up. She could feel herself going somewhere else, somewhere she wasn't sure she wanted to go – she wasn't ready yet. She could hear the doctors, she could hear Lucky yelling in the hallway, but she couldn't get back to him.

"Aly, open your eyes," she heard someone say. She recognized the voice but couldn't place it.

"Aly, open your eyes," she heard again.

Aly struggled to open her eyes. When she was able to focus, she saw the person who had spoken to her.

"Emily?" she asked. "Is that you?"

"Yes, Aly, it's me," Emily said.

"I must be dreaming," Aly said. She wasn't quite sure where she was at this time.

"Aly, you flat lined. I have come to show you the way back," she said.

"Am I supposed to go back?" Aly asked.

"Yes, you are. It's nowhere near your time. Besides, you have a lot of people to take care of." She smiled at Aly.

"Emily, you don't know me very well, and honestly, sometimes I can't take care of myself and get out of my own way, let alone anyone else. It's too difficult for me," Aly said, unsure of herself.

Emily could see that Aly was having a hard time believe in herself and her abilities. "Oh now, that's not true and you know it. You do a good job taking care of yourself. Besides that, there are a lot of people who need you."

"Really?" Aly asked. She was a little surprised at Emily's statement.

"Really. Nikolas is one of those people. Whether you know it or not, he is," she said.

"Nikolas doesn't need me. He really needs you, Em," Aly reminded her.

"See, that's where you're wrong. He does need you. You are his best friend. You can help him. He lost me, but he can't lose you, too. You are the only one that can get through to him. He needs to move on and find someone to love and share his life with. That is what I want for him. He is alive because of you. You have to help him find his way back to love," Emily explained.

"You are wrong about that. He's alive because of you and your love. All I did was remind him of that love that you two shared," Aly informed her.

Emily smiled. Aly looked at Emily as if to question her, trying to find the answers on Emily's face, but there were none. She needed some sort of guidance or help if she was to go back and do this.

"I don't know that I can help him find his way back," Aly admitted and sighed. "How can you trust me to do this for him?"

"I have complete faith in you. You can, Aly. After all, you restored Lucky's faith in love," Emily reminded her.

"But how do I help Nikolas?" Aly asked.

"You'll find a way," Emily simply said.

"I just don't see how. With everything that happened, I feel like maybe it's time for me to go," Aly said, sounding defeated.

"Don't give up, not yet… Listen to me. It's not your time yet. Lucky loves you like Nikolas loved me. I didn't get my fairytale ending like Nikolas and I should have, but Aly, you still can. Go back to Lucky and the life you are starting with him. You deserve to be happy, for both of us. You need to do this for me. Go back to all the people who love you and need you. You have a huge presence in a lot of people's lives. You may think that they don't need you, but they do. Jason needs you. He loves you like a sister. Don't take that away from him. Elizabeth needs you. Your own brother _NEEDS_ you! "

"Maybe you're right," Aly said.

"Of course I am." Emily and Aly laughed together. "Remember, us doctors have to stick together. We know what we're talking about." Emily winked at Aly.

"I wish we could have had the chance to be good friends," Aly told her.

"I think we would have been pretty close," Emily said.

"Yes, we would have been. Can you do me a favor? Could you tell my parents that I love them?" Aly asked.

"They already know, but I'd be happy to remind them," Emily smiled.

"Oh and one more thing. Would you be sure to visit Nikolas in his dreams every once in a while? I don't want him to ever forget what the two of you had together, no matter what happens in his life or whom he loves." Aly had to take advantage of the situation for Nikolas' sake.

"Of course. I'm with him every night, sometimes he just doesn't know it. He'll see me again in his dreams… when the time is right," Emily said, "Now, it's time for you to go." Emily walked over to Aly and gave her a hug. "Take care of yourself. Always remember, I'll be watching out for you."

"Thank you, Emily. I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Aly. I promise I'll see you again," she said, then faded away.

"We've got a heartbeat, folks," Dr. Leo said to his staff, with a sigh of relief. She meant too much to him and the staff to let her die.

Robin and Patrick heard that Aly was in the OR, and they couldn't believe it. They were upstairs on the seventh floor doing their rounds when word came up from downstairs in the ER. Robin came downstairs to show her and Patrick's support.

She saw everyone in the waiting room and immediately went over to Lucky and gave him a hug. "She's going to be ok, Lucky. Dr. Leo is one of the best we have. She's in great hands."

"I know that," Lucky said. "It just kills me to see her in the OR for a second time, fighting for her life. I should be the one in there, not her."

"That's the hard part. There's nothing that we can do but sit and wait, and we feel helpless, like we should be in their place. We just have to be strong for her, and keep sending her positive thoughts."

"Thanks for coming down, Robin. It means a lot to me."

"You're welcome, Lucky."

Robin got up and walked over to where Nikolas was standing alone. "Nikolas, do you have any idea how this happened? All that Patrick and I know is that she was shot. I didn't want to ask Lucky because he's so upset and worried about her."

"From what Elizabeth said, she and Lucky were out at the pier enjoying some time to themselves. A man came out of nowhere. They exchanged some heated words, and the man pulled a gun on Lucky. Aly reacted and jumped in front of Lucky and got shot. I don't know many other details. I was out with Spencer at the carnival with Paige and her daughter when I got the call, and I immediately rushed over here," Nikolas said.

She touched his hand and gave him a hug. "I'm glad that you are finally getting back out and doing things. It doesn't do you any good to sit alone at the house with Spencer. I'm here for you. If you need to talk to me about anything, let me know. I need to run back upstairs to finish my rounds. I'll come back down once Aly is out of recovery."

"Thanks, Robin. See you later." With that, Robin went back upstairs. Nikolas sat down with Spinelli, Lulu, and Johnny. There wasn't anything else for them to do but wait.

Paige walked into the ER and saw Nikolas along with everyone else waiting patiently for some news on Aly. "Nikolas," she said.

He turned to see Paige standing before him, and a smile spread across his face. He was happy to see her. "Did you get Spencer back to Wyndemere safely?"

"Yes I did," she said. "Your grandmother is watching him, and she offered to take care of Zoey if I wanted to come down and check on Aly…and keep you company."

"That was nice of her. Thank you for coming down and for your support. It means a lot to me that you're here. We haven't heard anything yet. We're hoping that they'll come out soon. Let's sit down."

"Sure. I'll sit and wait with you." That's all she could do.

Jason walked into the hallway, picked up his phone and dialed Sonny's number. He explained to Sonny that Aly was shot, and she was in the operating room.

"What do you mean she was shot, Jason? Where were her bodyguards?" Sonny asked.

"Lucky wanted to be alone with her, and I'm sure he figured that since he was with her, he could protect her. Unfortunately, it didn't work in his favor, and that guy Ivan came out of nowhere with a gun. He fought with Lucky and he was about to shoot Lucky, Aly stepped in front of Lucky and took the bullet for him."

"Kate and I are worried about Aly. I'm coming down to the hospital. And Jason, thank you for telling me. Talk to you shortly."

"You got it," and Jason hung up. He thought that Sonny should know, after all, him and Aly were family. If Sonny wanted to come down, he knew that he was more than welcome. Jason walked back over to where everyone was and sat down again.

Sonny had to make this phone call. Other than when Michael got shot at the warehouse, this was one of the worst things that he ever had to tell Carly. Aly and Carly are so close, almost like sisters, and Carly needed to know what happened. Sonny intended on leaving for the hospital immediately, but he had to let her know what was happening. She deserved to know. He picked up his cell phone as he got into the car and dialed Carly's number.

"Hello?" Carly answered.

"It's Sonny," he said.

Carly knew something was wrong by the tone in his voice. "Sonny, what's wrong? Is something wrong with Michael?"

"No. There is still no change in him. I'm heading to the ER at General Hospital right now. Aly has been in an accident, and she was shot."

"Oh my God," Carly said. Immediately all the pain and terror of what happened with Michael flooded back into her mind. She needed to push them out for a few minutes and concentrate. "What happened?"

"I don't know many of the specifics yet. I just got off the phone with Jason, and I'm heading up there now."

"I'm on my way. I'll see you in the Emergency Room." With that, she hung up. She called Mercedes into the living room where she was, and asked her to watch Morgan while she went to the hospital to check on Aly. She took off in her car and sped all the way to GH. She didn't want to lose Aly.

The doctors continued to work on Aly to get her stabilized. Lucky was still considerably worried and continued to pace. Elizabeth sat and talked with Spinelli and Nikolas.

"Aly knows that all of you are here, she can feel it. Focus on being there for each other and for Aly," Elizabeth said.

"How could this have happened to my Noble Sister? The Rescuer was supposed to take care of her, and protect her from the Evil Doer…" Spinelli's voice trailed off.

Elizabeth touched his hand, and felt for both of them. "Lucky had no idea that Ivan was there. All he wanted to give your sister was a night for themselves, something that just the two of them shared. He didn't want any guards around. He couldn't have predicted what was going to happen."

"Don't blame Lucky," Nikolas said looking at Spinelli. "He was trying to protect her, and he did all that he could. After what happened, he got help and was able to get her to GH in a matter of minutes, which saved her life. Don't be too hard on him."

"I'm not trying to be. Now that I've found her, I don't want to lose her," Spinelli said. Nadine heard him starting to break down. She came over and gave him a hug and sat down with them.

"Spinelli, Dr. Leo and the entire staff are doing everything they can to save her and keep her with us. You have to believe that," Elizabeth said. "We are all family; we need to be there for each other. She's going to need all our help and support. Just be there for her and love her."

"Definitely," Spinelli said.

"Whatever it takes to get her well, spare no expense. I will cover it," Nikolas said. It's the least he could do for someone that saved his life. He owed her his life.

"Want to take a walk down the hall for a few minutes, Spinelli?" Nadine asked.

"Sure, we'll be back." They got up and walked away for a few minutes, while Nikolas and Elizabeth sat with everyone else.

The waiting was killing Lucky. The minutes seemed like hours and the hours seemed like days. 'She has to be okay. I won't lose her,' he thought to himself.

Carly and Sonny arrived, Sonny without Kate, and Carly without Jax. Kate and Jax were still working on the launch of Crimson, which was going to premiere any day now.

Sonny went over to Jason and talked with him, while Carly went over to Lulu and Paige and sat with them. Time seemed to drag by even slower.

Finally, Dr. Leo came out to the waiting room and delivered the verdict.

"Aly is stabilized but still in critical condition. She has been moved to the Intensive Care Unit, and of course she will receive the best care possible," he informed everyone.

"When can we see her?" Lucky asked anxiously.

"Soon, but you need to know, she is in a drug-induced coma. Because of her request for no pain meds, it was our only choice so that she could rest comfortably. She will wake up; however it may not be for a few days."

Once Aly was out of recovery and in ICU, she was only allowed one visitor at a time. Between Lucky, Nikolas, Spinelli and everyone else, someone was constantly at her side. Everyone stayed at the hospital for the entire night. No one wanted to leave until she woke up from her coma.

Lucky was starting to go stir crazy, the night's events continued to replay in his mind, haunting him. He couldn't take it any longer. It was a long night already, and he needed to get out and do something.

"Nikolas, can you stay with her? I've got something I need to take care of," Lucky said to his brother.

"Sure, but can't it wait? She's going to want to see you when she wakes up," Nikolas voiced his concern for his friend.

"I know but I can't sit around here doing nothing and feeling helpless. I have to do something. You'll call me if anything changes?"

"Of course," Nikolas said without hesitation.

Lucky went straight to the station to work on Aly's case. He was determined to put Ivan away for the pain he had caused Aly. Lucky sat down at his desk and stared at the paperwork.

"Lucky, what are you doing here?" Mac asked.

"Any word on Ivan?" Lucky asked, ignoring Mac's question.

"We've got an APB out and our men our scouring the city," he informed the detective.

"It's not enough. There has to be something here," he said in frustration, shuffling through the paperwork.

"Lucky, you should be at the hospital," Mac said.

"There isn't anything I can do there. At least here I can be productive," Lucky said as he got up from his desk to look at some other files.

"Lucky, your place right now is at the hospital with Aly. She needs you," Mac tried to reason with him.

"She _needs_ me to put this bastard away so he can't hurt her ever again," Lucky said as he looked Mac straight in the eye. He was not giving up, not that easily.

"I know how badly you want to nail the guy but you're getting in way too deep. Look at you. You can't focus, not completely. You and I both know you are worried sick about Aly, as you should be. I can't have a detective working on a case who is too emotionally involved. So, you leave me with no choice but to take you off the case," Mac said as he laid down the law for his detective.

"What?! Mac, you can't do that," Lucky argued.

"I can, and I am. You're too close to this. I don't want to see you end up doing something irrational or stupid," Mac told him.

"I've already done something stupid and that was letting Ivan get away the first, the second, and the third time!!" Lucky yelled as he slammed his fist on the desk. He turned around to find a stunned Maxie. He quickly looked away and headed back to his desk to regain his composure. Maxie followed him to his desk.

"I heard about Aly, Lucky. I'm really sorry. I know that she and I got off on the wrong foot, but she's been good for you. I hate that you are going through this," Maxie said sincerely.

"Thanks," he mumbled.

"Uncle Mac is right to take you off this case. I know you don't want to hear that, but he's right. You're too involved," she assured him.

"I have to do something," Lucky said with sad eyes.

"I understand that, but all you really need to be doing is loving her, go back to the hospital. That's where you belong right now," she advised.

Lucky took Maxie's advice and went back to the hospital. Nikolas was with her, just as he promised he would be.

As Dr. Leo had said, it was several days before Aly awoke. Lucky had been there most of the time, but when he wasn't there, Nikolas, Jason, Lulu, Carly or Spinelli were.

When Aly finally did wake up, she thought she was going to see Lucky there, but instead she saw her best friend.

"Nikolas?" she whispered. "Where is Lucky? Is he ok?"

"Yes, Aly, he's fine. We've been so worried about you. He went back to work for a while – he was starting to go stir crazy." He gave her a smile and held her hand.

Aly noticed Lulu was standing near the door. Nikolas motioned for Lulu to come in.

"It's good to see you awake. How do you feel?"

"Like a truck hit me." They all laughed.

Nikolas turned to his sister. "Lulu, would you call Lucky and let him know that Aly is awake? I would appreciate it."

"Absolutely. I'll be back in a little while." Lulu left and went to call Lucky.

Nikolas turned his attention back to Aly. "You're going to be ok. You need to worry about you. Lucky asked me to sit with you until he got back."

"Thanks for being here, Nikolas. It means the world to me."

"You were there for me when I needed someone the most….someone who was going to kick my butt into having that surgery, and living for Spencer and my family." Nikolas winked at her. "It was the best decision I could have ever made. Thank you for that. Now you were there for me, I'm going to be here for you."

She smiled at him and started to protest but thought better of it. She thought about her conversation with Emily and how Emily needed Aly to be there for Nikolas. "Thank you, Nik. I appreciate it. I'm going to need my best friend, all my friends and my family to get through this."

Spinelli came in and wanted to spend some time with Aly before Lucky came back. "I'll be back later on, Aly. Enjoy your time with your brother," Nikolas said, as he left the room.

"You scared me, Noble Sister. I thought I wasn't going to see you again when you were brought in here. You had the best doctor. He did a most excellent job, and the Jackal appreciates it."

"Thanks, Spinelli. You always make me smile. Have I told you that I love you?" She reached out and grabbed his hand. "I'm so happy that you are my brother."

He smiled at her. "Me too. I love you, too." They sat and talked for a little while longer.

After giving Spinelli some time with his sister, Lucky returned to Aly's side. Still feeling the effects of the induced coma, she drifted back to sleep. He would be there when she awoke this time. He picked up her small, delicate hand and held it in his much larger hands. He held her hand up to his cheek and closed his eyes. He said a silent prayer; all he asked for was to see Aly's green eyes again.

"Lucky?" she whispered.

"Hey, there's my favorite girl," he flirted.

"I'd better be your favorite girl," she said with a smirk.

The two were interrupted when Dr. Leo and Epiphany came in to check over her vitals. She passed inspection, and Dr. Leo lifted the one visitor at a time requirement.

Everyone piled back in to see how she was doing. After the crowd cleared, it was just Lucky and Aly in the room. Lucky pulled up a chair and sat as close to Aly as possible. She was wide awake and fully alert now.

"Did you get Ivan? Is he behind bars?" she asked.

"No, I'm afraid not," he said.

This infuriated Aly. "Damn it Lucky! Why the hell not? Why did you let him get away?"

"What was I suppose to do Aly? Leave you on the pier to bleed to death?" he said in his defense.

"If that's what it took, then yes! You had a chance to get him. He's still out there, he can still get to us," she said, the fear evident in her voice.

"What kind of man would I be if would have ran after him and left you there to die?" Lucky asked.

"That doesn't matter, he's still out there, and he isn't going to stop until he gets what he wants. He's going to come after you and try to kill you. We have to get to him first," she pleaded.

Lucky got up, "Well, excuse me for being more worried about you than I was about that creep!" Lucky yelled, and then slammed the door behind him as he left.

Aly couldn't believe what had just transpired. The love of her life just walked out on her. Her heart raced. She couldn't hold back the tears, not this time. She cried until she fell asleep.

Meanwhile, Lucky, feeling the fury of his anger from the argument, paced in the hallway. He couldn't believe the way Aly was acting. How was he supposed to leave her on the pier and go after Ivan? 'Is she crazy?' he thought to himself. The more he thought about the conversation he had just had with Aly, the more infuriated he became. He slammed his fist into the wall just as Elizabeth turned the corner.

"Damn it!" he said, holding on to his now throbbing hand.

"Lucky, you've got to get yourself together," Elizabeth said, investigating his hand to see if he had any serious injuries.

"What happened?" she finally asked.

"Aly is being ridiculous," he said with an angry tone.

"Lucky, she took a bullet for you. I hardly doubt she is being ridiculous," Elizabeth reminded him.

"I didn't ask her to. That bullet was meant for me. And now, all she is worried about is whether or not Ivan has been caught, not to mention the fact that she's pissed at me for not going after him," Lucky told her.

"She's scared Lucky, and rightfully so. And if I know Aly like I think I do, she's not just scared for herself. She's scared for you too. This guy threatened to kill you, Lucky. You mean too much to her, she wasn't going to just stand there and do nothing, that's not her nature," Elizabeth explained.

"I know, but she didn't have to get herself shot. There was a better way to handle the situation," Lucky said.

"There is always a better way to handle a situation, but Aly reacted on her instincts. You have to remember, she relies on her instincts every day and usually they're right on. You can go on and on about what could have been done differently, but that's not going to change anything. What's done is done, and if you don't think that Aly won't beat herself up enough, then go right ahead and keep harping on her."

"I know that's what she'll do. And it's what I'll do to myself too. But you're right, what's done is done. I know all I need to do is be there for her, but I don't feel like that is enough," he said.

"Of course it's enough. All Aly wants is for you to love her. You finally have the kind of love that you've always deserved. You just have to believe in that, Lucky," Elizabeth explained.

He knew she was right. He gave her a hug and thanked her for her support. He quickly made his way back to Aly's room.

He quietly entered as he could see through the window that she was sleeping. He returned to her side and held her hand in his once again.

Some time had passed when she finally woke again.

"Aly, I'm so sorry for the way I acted earlier. I was out of line. I just… you mean so much to me, and the thought of losing you was killing me," he said.

"No, Lucky, I'm sorry. I'm glad you didn't let me bleed to death. I'm just so consumed with getting Ivan that I didn't think before," Aly said to Lucky.

"What were you thinking, stepping in front of me?" he quizzed her.

"I just told you. I wasn't thinking, I haven't done much thinking since this whole thing started. I was just reacting. I wasn't going to let him kill you. I had to protect you," she said.

"I'm the one who is supposed to do the protecting," he reminded her.

"That's your ego talking," she grinned.

"Don't you get it Aly? You are a part of me, the best part of me. I cannot and will not lose you," he confessed.

"I get it, Lucky. But don't you see? I keep coming back, I'm not going anywhere. You are the reason I'm still alive. I love you; _you_ are the best part of me. From now until the end of time, it will be always only you," she smiled.

He kissed her lightly on her forehead and could tell she was getting sleepy. He brushed the hair out of her eyes. "Get some rest, we'll talk more later."

She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

Lucky kissed her hand. "May angels on the wings of the night, watch over you until the morning light."

He checked with the staff, and they allowed him to stay for the night. He couldn't wait until morning when Aly woke up again. He grabbed a blanket, got comfortable on the chair, and fell asleep. He slept peacefully, much like Aly did until morning light.


End file.
